Otomen? What's An Otomen?
by Itachiforever342
Summary: Eri's always been different from other boys his age, which makes those around him uncomfortable. At first sight, one wouldn't even know he was a boy. Will he take pride in what he is, or wilt under the pressure of preconceived notions of gender?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Otomen, so don't sue me!

This is something I came up with when I saw a similar "crossover" on the Naruto fandom, but this is very different from what the author of that story was going for, so I'm not copying in any way!

I present another story of mine!

* * *

><p><strong>Otomen? What's An Otomen?<strong>

Eri Namikaze was a simple kid, who took pleasure out of every little thing that was given to him. An orphan from birth, he lived in a shabby orphanage in the western district of Konohagakure no Sato. He was quiet and never caused trouble, in fact, he secluded himself for a _very_ good reason.

"Eri! Eri, come out of there right now!" the owner of the orphanage ordered, knocking on the door to the boy's room. "It's adoption day, so I want you on your _best_ behavior!"

The boy looked up from his project and looked down after a second, finishing the last touches. He smiled and got up, just as the door swung open.

"Eri! What did I tell you about this?"

He blushed and ducked his head. "About what?"

"_This_!" the older woman shouted, yanking the object out of his hands, then shook it in his face. "Boys _your age_ don't make stuffed animals! Especially _cute ones_!" She then spotted something else. "And I told you! STOP PULLING YOUR HAIR BACK! It's too _feminine_! Do you want to have everyone telling the parents _you're a girl_?!"

Eri cried out in dismay as the plush rabbit was shredded in front of him, and to top it off, his bow was yanked out of his hair, which flopped onto his neck. It was blonde and spiky, but so long it nearly reached his chin, and the loose locks irritated the skin of his neck. His blue eyes teared up as he ran to the bits of his sewing project, holding them like they were priceless gems. "Poor bunny…"

"You're almost thirteen! Boys your age don't cry over toys! Stop it right now!"

Eri wiped his eyes and got to his feet, going to the playroom. He was the oldest at the orphanage, it seemed no one wanted to adopt him. All the other kids would, even if they were brats. It wasn't that he minded it was just that he wondered why he wasn't selected, even now. He wasn't a problem child, maybe it was because he was shy.

The other kids played with each other, while he went to the bookshelf to find his favorite book which was a romance novel. Most boys his age wouldn't touch a book like this, but the romantic storyline moved him so. He read the words of the author and a flush came to his cheeks.

The door opened and Eri didn't look up, lost in the story already. He leaned his chin on the heel of his hand, his heart fluttering at the words on the page.

"We'll adopt him. He's perfect."

He knew it had to be someone else, until he heard the protest.

"No, he's too old for you! A younger child would be better for a newlywed couple such as yourselves!"

"We want to adopt him because he _is_ older. We don't want to have a child, we want a teenager or as close to it as we can, a kid that can help with chores and has no issues with being left alone should both of us want to be alone. He's here, so he's adoptable."

Eri looked to see a woman with midnight black hair, pale skin and eyes a matching shade to her hair. Her husband was dark-haired as well, pale, but with lilac eyes that looked pupil-less. They looked nice enough, so he closed his book and walked up to them, bowing.

"Good afternoon, young man."

"Good afternoon," he greeted back.

"He's so cute, we _have_ to adopt him!"

"Hyuga-san, I _must_ protest! Eri _isn't_ the type of child meant for adoption!"

"Why?" the Hyuga man asked with a raised eyebrow.

"That is…well… Oh very well! Adopt him! You'll regret it later, I swear on it!"

* * *

><p>Eri sighed in elation as he walked home with his new parents: Hoji and Reina Hyuga. He kept his last name, which was insisted upon in return for adopting him. He wiped off the sweat off his neck, wishing he had a ribbon to tie back his hair.<p>

"Eri-kun, understand that with our family, you won't be looked well on by others," his new father informed him. "Reina's and my marriage was looked down upon because of her civilian status, I being part of the main family of the clan. And now that we've adopted you, the others will probably ostracize you because you also have civilian status. Your mom and I will love you like our own, but we plead you don't be anything but civil, no matter how they treat you."

"Yes, Otou-san."

"Good boy, Eri-kun. You're wise to understand this, even if you're young," his new mother praised. "I think you'll become good friends with Hinata-sama."

Eri smiled up at them and looked up at the name plate as they entered what looked like a walled plot of land. He removed his shoes and walked in his socks as they entered a specific room.

"Hiashi-sama, we've returned with our adopted son," Hoji greeted the man, who was watching a young girl do what Eri thought looked like a dance.

The man raised a hand and the girl stopped. He turned to the couple and frowned. "I told you that adopting wasn't allowed, marriage to a civilian was enough."

"But Hiashi-sama, we've already adopted him, and Reina refuses to have any children."

"Bring him back to the orphanage! I won't have any further outsiders added to our clan!"

"Hiashi-sama, you _must_ listen. His last name is _Namikaze_."

At that, Hiashi pushed Reina aside and grabbed Eri by the chin. The boy blushed at the scrutiny, his eyes wandering to try and soothe his discomfort.

"Perhaps I was too hasty in my demands. Boy, do you have a name?"

"E-Eri."

"Eri-san, then. What's the day of your birth?"

"October tenth…"

"I'll have you meet my eldest daughter when she returns home. But for now, this is my heir and youngest, Hanabi."

The little girl, about nine years of age, came over. She pushed back her hair, and Eri had only one word for her.

"Adorable," he said honestly with a pleased blush.

Hanabi recoiled and hissed, "You're a freak! Boys don't do that!"

She ran off, Eri's lips turning unto an uncomfortable frown.

"Hanabi!" Hiashi scolded, then shook his head. "I beg your forgiveness Eri-san, Hanabi isn't used to boys outside of our clan."

"I should be the one who's sorry Hiashi-sama," Eri insisted. "My reaction to her made her uncomfortable, so she lashed out. She was just so cute, I couldn't control myself."

At the word, Reina flinched, but didn't react further. Hiashi nodded and patted Eri's head. "Very good. You should get settled in your room and I'll have you called for once Hinata comes back."

"I will. Thanks, Hiashi-sama."

* * *

><p>As Eri unpacked his tiny suitcase, Reina and Hoji shifted a little before the new mother asked, "Eri-kun, are you…um…"<p>

The blonde boy found a ribbon for his hair at the bottom of his suitcase and tied it around the longest part of his hair, so his neck was able to be cool and unbothered. He sighed as he tied a secure bow, then pulled out his favorite shirt, changing into it. He then turned to his parents and tilted his head. "What is it, Oka-san?"

"Um…are you…gay?"

He flushed darkly and shook his head. "I like girls, Oka-san."

"Then why are you wearing a ribbon and t-shirt that are…um…"

"Pink," Hoji deadpanned.

Eri stood and stated, unabashed and proud, "I've always been this way, liking pink over blue, sweet over savory, cute things, sparkling things. I prefer girl things over boy things, and I think like a girl most of the time, reading romance novels over anything else. I know who I am, and I'm sorry, I can't change without betraying my inner self. If it makes you feel uncomfortable…then bring me back to the orphanage."

Both adults looked to each other in silent communication and Hoji knelt down, then put a hand on his son's head. "It's just something new we'll come to accept, Eri. We adopted you, even after being warned you weren't suitable. I think you are unique, and no matter what happens, I will _never_ regret I adopted you." He then looked to his wife. "Reina?"

Reina nodded and put her arms around Eri. "Every child is different, and you're special, which I accept wholeheartedly."

Eri smiled and held her back. "Thank you, Oka-san."

There was a knock on the door before a voice called, "Hinata-sama has arrived Eri-san! Hiashi-sama summons you!"

Eri fidgeted and murmured, "I want to give her something, but I don't have anything but a couple failures that I've made." He held up a pair of toys, a puppy and a bear.

Reina gasped in surprise and joy. "Eri…did you make these?!"

The boy shifted shyly. "Yes."

"They're beautiful! And so cute! I think Hinata-sama would _love_ either of these!"

The bear was purple, while the puppy was a pastel pink. Eri held up one in each hand and looked at both, before a flustered blush came to his cheeks. "Which one should I choose?"

Reina took the bear. "I think the puppy will suit Hinata-sama very well."

Eri beamed and his parents led him to the meeting place, where Hinata was standing with an uneasy look on her face. She spotted Hoji and Reina, who made bows and Hiashi pushed his daughter forward.

"Hinata, Hoji and Reina have adopted a child. Eri-san, don't be so shy, come out from behind your mother."

Eri did, and Hiashi had to cough, he was so shocked that the boy, who'd been wearing a neutral green shirt with his hair down, was now wearing a pink bow in his hair to hold it back, a pink shirt with a daisy at the center, _and_ held a pink puppy plush toy?! He was extremely surprised and would have to talk to him later about his appearance, whether it was a joke or not.

Hinata laid eyes on Eri and blinked, confused. "Naruto-kun…?"

Eri tilted his head. "Who's Naruto?"

Hinata shook her head and blushed. "Sorry! You look so much like him, I saw him in you for a moment Eri-chan! It's nice to meet you!"

"It's nice to meet you too. Can I call you Hinata-chan?"

"Sure!"

Eri held out the puppy toy. "I want you to have this Hinata-chan."

"For me? Thank you!"

Hinata hugged the stuffed animal to her and then took Eri's hand. "Come on, I want to meet my teammates!"

* * *

><p>When the two were gone, Hiashi turned to Hoji and Reina. "Instant friends, but I have no doubt Hinata thinks Eri-san is a girl because of that getup. Was I mistaken, and Eri-san is a girl?"<p>

Hoji shook his head. "Eri-kun is a boy, but he seems to be more feminine than most girls that age I've seen. He actually made that toy he gave to Hinata-sama."

"I thought it had been bought and he was giving it to her as a token of friendship," Hiashi murmured, face thoughtful. "To think that he had that kind of dexterity, it could be useful if he trained to be a ninja."

"But he knows nothing of the ninja world, even if he's the son of…you know who…" Hoji paused and corrected himself when the head of the clan glared at him. "But what Hinata-sama said…could he be Naruto's brother?"

"Naruto is the ward of the Hokage. Plus, he has the family name of 'Uzumaki'. It's just an unfortunate similarity between the two. Eri-san had better circumstances when it comes to where he grew up, even if it was in an orphanage."

"How can you tell, Hiashi-sama?"

"He's polite and holds himself well. Not just any child could manage that when he or she is given the minimum amount of attention by the adults, since there are so many children in such a place. He must subconsciously know he's destined for greatness."

Reina tilted her head in confusion. "How so, Hiashi-sama?"

"He will be the Rokudaime, if he trains and becomes the greatest of all ninjas, once he comes back! I can see it, he has the potential to have the best chakra control and capacity."

"But to nurture that takes _years_ of training, you think he'd be able to catch up with his peers, let alone become Rokudaime Hokage before someone else does?" Hoji questioned.

"He will become the pride of the clan, even if he doesn't bear the surname!"

Reina glanced at her husband and the pair sweat-dropped at their leader's fantasies.

* * *

><p>"Hinata! Over here!"<p>

Hinata turned and saw the hand waving. "Kiba-kun! Shino-kun! Hey!"

Eri hid behind his new friend, not sure what to make of these new boys.

"Hey, Hinata! You said you wanted to meet up with us?"

"Yes, I made a new friend today and I wanted you to meet her!"

"Where? Did she run off on you?"

Hinata stepped to the side, exposing Eri, only for the shy boy to squeak and hide again.

"I didn't get a good look. All I saw was a flash of pink."

"Eri-chan, they won't hurt you, I promise!" Hinata coaxed. "Sorry, Eri-chan's just been adopted into my clan and hasn't really seen the majority of the village. She's really shy."

"She doesn't need to fear us! Right, Akamaru?"

A puppy barked, which sparked Eri's interest. With adoring eyes, he stepped out, reaching up to pet the white puppy.

"She was scared of us but she came out because of Akamaru?" the boy with the high-collared coat and dark sunglasses asked. "What a strange girl, she must be an animal lover."

"She's real cute, even if she's not paying attention to me. Maybe having Akamaru come along was a good thing. Do you like her, Akamaru?"

Akamaru wagged his tail and yipped happily. He licked the girly boy's hand, and Eri giggled.

"That tickles!"

Hinata placed a hand on Eri's shoulder. "Eri-chan, I want you to meet my teammates. They're very nice."

Eri stopped petting Akamaru and looked down to see a wild-looking boy with red markings on his cheeks and a fur-lined gray coat. He grinned, showing fangs.

"Hey, I'm Inuzuka Kiba. Nice to meet you, Eri-chan."

He held out his hand, and the shorter boy hesitantly returned the gesture. "Um…I'm Namikaze…Eri…"

Shino held a hand out, although it looked reluctant. "I'm Aburame Shino. Did you make that dog toy that Hinata's holding?"

"Oh…" Eri twiddled his fingers. "Yes I did."

"Really?!" Kiba exclaimed. "I thought it was store bought! You're our age, right? This took some skill!"

"It's one of my hobbies…"

"What else do you do?"

"I knit and cook…whenever I can…I read romance novels…I like to collect cute things…sparkly things…fluffy things… Um…"

Kiba patted his head. "Don't strain yourself by listing everything, Eri-chan. You're a pure girl, that's for sure. I don't think even Hinata can say she's exactly like you. I'd want you as my bride when I'm older!"

Hinata, who knew what that meant, blushed. "Kiba-kun! That's _not_ funny!"

"Who said I was joking? I'd like such a cute girl to date me and we'd get married when we're old enough! I can already see the wedding!"

"Kiba, are you sure it's love? You did hit your head on our last mission," Shino stated.

"Lay off, Shino!" Kiba snapped, then reached into his pocket. He held out a woven ring. "Here, I want you to have this."

Eri took it and saw it was made of fine silver fur and sparkly red beads. "Thank you, Kiba-san. You barely know me, why give me such a thing?"

"So you'll remember my promise to marry you in four years!"

Hinata frowned. "You proposed to Eri-chan when you just met? How do you know you like her enough and that you'll like her in the future?"

"We Inuzukas know these things."

Eri was completely confused.

* * *

><p>Hinata sighed and shook her head, once they left her teammates. "Don't wear that, unless you know what it means."<p>

Eri nodded, putting the promise ring in his pocket. "Hinata-chan, where are we going now?"

"Um…I wanted to show you…the boy I thought you looked like…"

"Okay. Let's go."

They walked until they got to a ramen shop, where three pre-teens and a man sat on stools. Hinata pointed at the blonde boy in the middle. "That's him."

Eri raised his eyes to meet a pair exactly like his. The same shape, color, everything. He was shocked still by his look-alike. Naruto pointed and yelled in surprise. His teammates and teacher turned to see what alarmed him so much.

"Wow, you turned into a girl Naruto," the pink-haired, green-eyed girl on his right snickered.

The dark-haired, dark-eyed boy on his left slid off the stool and bowed in greeting. "Hello, I'm Uchiha Sasuke."

Eri blushed and bowed as well. "Namikaze…Eri."

"It's nice to meet you." He shoved something into the shorter boy's palm and walked off. "If you'll excuse me."

"Um, Sasuke-kun!" the pink-haired girl called. "Wait for me!"

Naruto got off his stool and marched up to Eri. "Who are you? Why do you have my face?"

Eri fidgeted and shrugged. "I don't know."

The silver-haired man, who was staring at Eri and Naruto with shock and barely concealed questions in his single eye, placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "It's coincidence, Naruto. Come on, you need to go home and rest from our mission."

"But Kakashi-sensei—"

"Move along, that's an order."

"Okay."

Naruto stormed off, and Kakashi bowed to Eri. "Eri-san, you should keep your distance from Naruto. It would lead to you or him getting hurt if you do not."

Eri nodded and stared after him as he vanished. Hinata blinked in confusion.

"What did Sasuke-san give you?"

Eri opened his hands and looked at the delicate silver ring with a red fan with a white handle on it. "A ring."

"Why is it that I think you'll be getting a lot more of these today? You're cute, but why when all you've done is meet once? Sasuke-san barely spoke to you at all and yet he gave you a ring! This is odd."

* * *

><p>At the end of the day, Eri had received more than some, if not a ring from <em>all<em> of Konohagakure no Sato's major clans, even the one he'd been adopted into. He was confused by all this, but accepted the rings gracefully.

Hinata was still baffled by all this that she almost smacked right into her cousin. "Ah! Sorry, Neji-nii-san!"

He glared at her, but said nothing. Eri bowed and greeted, "It's nice to meet you—"

"Now I see what Hanabi-sama meant. You _are_ a freak."

He walked on, Eri looking pained. Hinata raised her eyebrows. "Hanabi called you a freak? Why?"

Eri shook his head and murmured, "Let's go home."

"Sure."

* * *

><p>That night, Eri worked on his newest project, making the rings into a necklace. He twisted and cut wire expertly, yet his eyes were troubled. What if he really was a freak, and that's how most people would see him if they knew he wasn't a girl? He already knew his parents accepted him as who he was, but that was it. Everyone else either thought of him as a girl or a freak. Perhaps he should get some more boyish skills as well, to balance it out, but he knew nothing that seemed appealing to him at the time.<p>

He stewed about it for a while, until his mom came to the door. "Eri-kun, Hiashi-sama has asked you to come dine with him alone. He has something to speak to you about."

Eri looked at his finished necklace and put it on before getting up.

"Oh, and it's formal attire, so please put on a yukata."

"Okay, Oka-san."

He went to his new wardrobe and selected a dark blue yukata he liked and let his hair down, even if it scratched his neck. He knew that his yukata would clash with the bright pink ribbon. He tied the sash expertly and came out of his room, Reina smiling at how well he'd dressed.

"Did you learn how to put on a yukata at the orphanage?"

He shook his head. "I saw a man put one on once. It was fascinating, so I decided to practice on myself until I got it exactly the way I saw it."

"You have a photographic memory?"

"What's a photographic memory?"

"You have perfect recall just by looking at something once. I've never seen it personally, but I've heard of people who do. You'd make the perfect spy. All you'd have to do was look at a secret document once, burn it, and then copy it down once you got back from your mission."

Eri blinked and then smiled bashfully. "Thanks, Oka-san."

"Now get going, you don't want to be late."

He went to the dining hall and the door was slid open for him by a servant. He smiled and nodded his thanks before he walked in, greeting, "Good evening, Hiashi-sama," and bowed at the waist, the picture of perfection.

"Good evening, Eri-san. Come in and kneel across from me."

Eri raised himself from his bow and did as instructed, kneeling and putting his hands in his lap. Hiashi gazed at the boy with amazement that he could look so boyish yet have perfect grace and manners like a girl. It was an oxymoron, a girlish boy such as the one he was looking at right now. He'd heard of such a person in a book, and the character had even had a specific term. He'd thought it inconsequential at the time, but now he knew it was necessary to let Eri use it whenever he told people what he was.

"Eri-san, do you know what individuals like yourself are called?"

Eri put a finger to his cheek in thought. "Hmmm…androgynous?"

"That is also a good word, but there is an official term for a girlish boy such as yourself."

"So…there are others like me?"

"It's very rare, but yes. They are called 'otomen'."

"Otomen?"

"Yes. You are the most extreme case I've heard of, but the official description is: a boy who has girlish habits, thoughts, and embodies the purist of girl qualities, yet does not desire to be homosexual or have a gender change. When I watched you this afternoon, I knew this was true. So you are an otomen Eri-san, but I cannot allow you to be bullied once this is found out, so I've decided that you will become strong through ninja training."

"Ninja training?"

"Yes. You will go to the academy and have a special course that you will attend every day without fail. This way, you won't be hurt should someone physically lash out at you for being what you are."

"Hiashi-sama…um…how do you know I'll do well?"

"It's in your blood."

"In my blood…? Did you know who my parents were, Hiashi-sama?!"

"Calm down and eat your dinner, Eri-san. I will reveal the truth to you once you've eaten, or else you won't eat at all."

"Okay."

He ate slowly, to make sure he didn't choke, and when he was finished, he saw Hiashi watching him and blushed.

"Such an otomen, yet pleasing. Leave us."

The servants left and when the door had closed, Hiashi lowered his voice and leaned forward.

"Your mother was a fiery redhead with dark blue eyes from Uzushiogakure no Sato, in Uzushio no Kuni. She was brought here to be raised as a ninja, intended to be the wife of your father from childhood. She was spunky, outspoken, and impossibly optimistic. She came from a clan of seal masters, the Uzumaki Clan. To protect any offspring they had, they married in secret, from her enemies and his.

"Your father was blonde with deep blue eyes born and raised here, the genius of his generation. Everyone seemed to know he was special, meant to be the best of the best. He was calm, realistic, and unfailingly loyal to the village, born under the name of Namikaze."

"What were their given names?" Eri asked eagerly, but fell silent when Hiashi raised a hand.

"They seemed to always be together when their careers permitted, until your father became Yondaime Hokage. They settled down and it was soon after your mother became pregnant. I saw she was carrying twins very early on."

"Twins?! So Naruto and I are—"

"Keep your voice down, the walls have ears."

Eri covered his mouth. "Sorry."

"When she delivered, the worst happened. A masked man attacked and released a demon which had been sealed in her body, but the Hokage fought him, making him retreat. The damage was done however, and your mother was dying from the demon being extracted, and it was wreaking havoc on the village.

"Your father's next choice changed the lives of all his family.

"He sealed the demon into his firstborn, which took his life in exchange, while your mother used the last of her strength to cast another line of defense against the demon being unleashed yet again.

"They left you alone, but paid the price so the village was preserved. Your father's name was Minato, while your mother bore the name Kushina. But I have a warning: do not tell anyone about your parentage, for it will cause your death should the information fall into the hands of the wrong people."

Eri nodded, his eyes serious as he said, "Thank you for telling me Hiashi-sama, even if it was an abridged version. Does my brother know?"

"No, for it's forbidden to speak of the incident. I just broke a law for you, that's how much I wanted you to know of your ninja nature. I'm sure you're talented like your father, with your mother's large chakra. Now that that's been said, will you train to be a ninja to protect yourself and Konohagakure no Sato?"

The blonde boy, who looked more like his father with his longer hair, nodded with a smile. "I will, Hiashi-sama."

* * *

><p>Wow, I don't think I've <em>ever<em> done a first chapter this long, so there's a lot to take in.

I guess someone had to post a "crossover" of this nature that's complete, since the other one was abandoned by the author. *sighs*

Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Otomen!

I guess the first chapter wasn't that successful, but I hope the second does better!

* * *

><p>For the next three years, no one saw hide or hair of Eri, at least, no one admitted it. There were no search parties, no frantic people, so it was assured he was safe.<p>

So, during a survival exercise Team Kakashi was having on their old training grounds, on top of the middle post, Eri appeared, half crouched as if landing from a leap. He still wore the necklace of promise rings, but the rest of him was completely different.

Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi stopped immediately and took up defensive positions.

"Identify yourself, stranger," Kakashi demanded.

Eri looked up and found his bearings immediately. He jumped down and bowed to them. "Hello again, after so long. Don't you remember me?" he asked as he straightened up and put his hands lightly clasped behind his back.

It was several minutes while Eri saw the wheels turn in their heads. Kakashi looked at Eri the most: his blonde hair which had grown so long he'd had to cut everything save a tail in the back, his blue eyes, oval face, strong body, black high-necked sleeveless shirt, black pants, black ninja sandals, but most of all, an indigo duster with neon blue flames on the bottom, with a bold statement on the back, which was concealed for now.

When his features turned to horror, Eri knew that Kakashi had realized the mistake he'd made that day.

Sakura cradled her chin. "He looks _awfully_ familiar…"

Naruto had an epiphany. "Oh, he looks like the Yondaime Hokage!" He then got a look of horror on his face that matched Kakashi's. "Then you're that—" He covered his mouth, as if holding back being sick.

"What? You actually remember?" Sakura demanded. "Who is he?"

But the two petrified males couldn't seem to speak, so Eri explained. "I remember you saying that Naruto had been turned into a girl when you first met me, then you chased after Sasuke-kun," he began, then continued, "It's me, Namikaze Eri," with a cute smile and head tilt.

Sakura covered her mouth in shock. "Oh my gosh! You're that—I'm so sorry—I didn't know you were a boy!"

That broke the silence on the other two and Naruto cried, "There's no way you're a boy! After what you looked and acted like back then!"

Eri put his hands on his hips. "Why not? Do you want proof I'm a guy?"

Sakura hit Naruto over the head. "You dummy! Eri-kun looks more masculine than you do!"

Kakashi came over and held out a hand. "It's been a long time, over three years. What have you been doing all this time?"

"Training, and lots of it. You don't get like this overnight. I'm a fully-fledged ninja now."

Sakura looked Eri up and down. "Where's your hitae-ate?"

"Oh, I forgot to put it on." He reached inside his vest he'd received as a Chunin and took out a pastel _pink_ cloth, which he tied around his head, the metal plate resting on his forehead. "How does it look?"

"Why…_pink_?" all three asked in unison.

"Because it's my favorite," Eri answered as if it was obvious. He then remembered something. "I have to run! I have errands to do today, since this is my return to Konohagakure no Sato and no one's seen me since I was a prepubescent child! I'll see you later!"

He waved and vanished as suddenly as he'd come.

Naruto squinted his eyes. "What was written on the back of his cloak?"

" 'Otomen's Pride'," Kakashi stated, eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"Otomen? What's an otomen?" his teammates asked.

* * *

><p>Eri appeared in the marketplace, startling some people who'd been right next to him. He placed a finger to his cheek as he counted off his list. "Eggs, seaweed, apples, lemons, rice, salt, pepper, red bean paste, flour, crab, seaweed, salmon, hmmm…" He lightly hit his right hand with his fist. "Now I remember! I haven't made <em>that<em> in forever! I need to get ingredients for _that_, too!"

"Are you going shopping for your girlfriend, handsome?"

He jumped and saw Ino standing in front of him, a sly look on her face. She crept up to him and smiled sweetly. A shiver went down his spine as he answered, "I-I don't have a girlfriend. It's for a gathering I'm planning!"

"Oh? Who're you inviting?"

"Some friends I haven't seen in a while."

"Why not go out with me and put this off for another day?" She placed two fingers on his chest and walked them up in time with her next words. "You are just. My. Type. You. Gorgeous. Hunk."

He shook himself inwardly and then gave her a sparkling, girlish look. "Really? You like me?"

Ino, who wasn't used to such a reaction, tried to recover her sexy composure. "Y-yeah, I do. Will you come?"

He grasped her hands and cooed, "Then I want to go shopping, try on cute clothes, the most sparkly of jewelry, then we can go to a boutique and look at all the cute things, and for the finish, we'll make a cake together and eat the whole thing."

"Wha…?! That—why would—what kind of guy would do that?! You're making fun of me!"

Eri shook his finger at her. "You obviously don't remember me, Yamanaka Ino. I was perfectly serious."

"You-you _know_ me?! Who are you?"

"It's me, Namikaze Eri-_tan_!" he introduced with a wink.

At that, Ino froze in incredulity, not quite sure how to take the huge change her friend had gone through in three years. She always knew such a cute girly girl couldn't exist, but for _her_ to be a _him_? It was too much.

She stared at his back as he turned away, murmuring as she passed out, "Otomen? What's an otomen?"

* * *

><p>Eri hummed as he shopped, his basket seemed to be bottomless as he filled it with ingredients. His cheeks were aflush with ecstasy as he did what he found so fun, and thought up the recipes that he was going to execute when he got home. He couldn't wait to do so, to make things absolutely <em>adorable<em>. His eyes sparkled in anticipation, so much he quivered with excitement. As he placed the last item in his basket, he sensed people coming over to him that he recognized.

"Ino, you sure you're not mistaken? You know both Choji and I gave that girl promise rings."

"No, no, look!"

Ino emerged out of the crowd with Choji and Shikamaru on her heels, her index finger pointing at Eri, who turned to them. He smiled and greeted, "Choji, Shikamaru, how are you?" with a bow. He put his hands behind his back, a pleased smile on his face. "It's so good to see you after so—That's mine, if you please would return what you stole." He grabbed a hobo's wrist out of nowhere and gave him a firm look. "Please, I don't want to hurt you."

The man was so startled he dropped the apple into Eri's waiting palm and ran off, while the tow-headed teen turned back to his friends. "—long, I wanted to meet you as soon as possible."

The two best friends stared at Eri in shock. "He finished the sentence without so much as skipping a beat," Choji murmured in amazement.

"Does he have a perfect memory or something?" Shikamaru wondered aloud.

Ino smacked them. "Let's concentrate here! Don't you see it? This is Namikaze Eri! He's a _guy_!"

Shikamaru squinted at Eri and crossed his arms. "Hmmm…I dunno Ino, this guy doesn't have any resemblance to that sweet girl."

Choji nodded. "This guy's _completely_ masculine! The girl I fell for had an aura of pure femininity and she was the _prettiest_ girl I'd ever met!"

Ino growled and then stabbed her finger at Eri. "Eri-tan!" she sing-songed, skipping up to him. "What's the best color in the whole wide world?"

Shikmaru and Choji sweat-dropped. There was _no_ way a man's man like this guy would pick a feminine color like pink, purple, anything pastel or magenta.

Without hesitation, Eri answered, "Pink, of course!"

They were so shocked that Ino put her hands on her hips. "You're so shocked? I was too, but I didn't propose to a _boy_."

Eri unhooked the two rings from his necklace and held out the respective one to the young man he'd received it from. "I'm sorry you two, I can't accept your suits. I only like girls."

He gave a friendly smile and turned away, the two boys staring at the words on the back of his duster. They turned to Ino and asked, "Otomen? What's an otomen?"

* * *

><p>Eri arrived at the place he always called home and entered the kitchen promptly. He took off his duster and hung it up on a hook, in the same movement putting on a pink frilly apron with hearts for pockets. He took out the rice and put it in a large basin, filling it with water and beginning to wash the grains.<p>

"Welcome back, Eri."

He looked up and smiled. "Oka-san, Otou-san. It's good to be home."

Reina hugged her son and kissed him on the cheek. "Preparing already? You're so on top of things."

"It takes time to prepare food for this many, especially on par with my standards."

Hoji patted Eri's shoulder. "Don't overwork yourself, even if you enjoy it so much. Take time to get properly dressed."

"Sure, Otou-san."

"We'll leave you to your work and see you at the party Eri," Reina cooed with a final hug.

They left, and Eri looked back to his preparations, washing the rice for a precise amount of time before draining it and putting it in an enormous pot to cook. He put the whole crabs into another pot full of boiling water, then set up to slice the raw salmon.

At this time, Hiashi came in. "Welcome back, Eri. I see you're preparing the ingredients for the sushi rolls."

"Yes, Hiashi-sama. It's very calming to do all the preparations myself, so I'm not too nervous to host my first party."

"You look serene as a summer's day."

"It wouldn't do if I maimed myself while preparing the food. Becoming a top ninja taught me to keep calm, even if my nerves are high."

"Perhaps you should become a Jonin-sensei once you get settled."

"I never thought about it. Are the invitations sent?"

"They did a week ago. Think about it, it'll show if you're good with children or not."

"I will."

Hiashi left and Eri finished cooking the crabs, expertly taking all the meat from the shells and shredding it. The rice was done by then, and he'd finished slicing the salmon. He began making the rolls, spreading the seaweed, rice, salmon and crab. He then rolled each tightly and sliced it, putting the finished rolls in their respective boxes.

As he began cooking the tamagoyaki, Hinata entered the room. She recognized him immediately and bowed.

"Welcome back, Eri-chan!"

He smiled but didn't look up as he greeted back, "It's good to be back, Hinata-chan."

"Do you have a cold?"

"No, I'm in perfect health."

"Why is your voice…it sounds just like Naruto-kun's."

At the mention of his twin, Eri's smile softened. It made sense that he sounded like Naruto, they _were_ identical twins. He rolled the tamagoyaki and sliced them up as he answered, "I've matured in three years, changed physically, Hinata-chan. It's very noticeable, isn't it?"

"Yes. Um…Eri-chan?"

"Yes?"

"Look at me."

He paused in his slicing and turned his head to look at her. She gasped and blushed, covering her mouth.

"E-Eri-chan! Y-you're a-a-a…"

"What, Hinata-chan?"

"I didn't know you were a boy! Why didn't you tell me?"

He shrugged. "You didn't ask."

She considered and nodded. "I understand, even if it is a little strange. I'm still your friend!"

"I'm glad to hear that, Hinata-chan."

"I'll see you at the party tonight!"

"I'll be there, of course."

She departed to get ready and Eri began to make the dough for the bean paste dumplings. He hummed a placid tune as he kneaded and rolled it, then began to spoon the paste into the places where he'd be cutting the dough. As he started to cut and fold the dumplings, Neji and Hanabi entered, when they paused at the sight of their adopted relative.

Hanabi grinned maliciously and mocked, "Look at that, Neji! It's a rare type of animal, called a homo!"

Neji narrowed his eyes and watched Eri as he calmly continued his task, as if he hadn't heard Hanabi's insult. Hanabi strolled closer and spoke loudly, right in Eri's ear.

"Do you know what my dad said you call girly boys? HOMOS!"

Eri turned to her and gave a sweet smile. "Did you just call Hiashi-sama a liar?"

That took the girl aback. "What do you mean?"

"I specifically heard Hiashi-sama say another word. If you still say it's that forbidden word, you're calling your own father a liar."

Hanabi paled, since she knew her father favored Eri and if you called the head of the clan a liar, you usually ended up hospitalized for a good month, no matter who you were.

"Wha…what's this word he told you you were?"

"Otomen!" Eri chirped as he finished the last dumpling and put the whole tray into the oven.

"Otomen?" Neji asked. "What's an otomen?"

Eri began to hum again as he began to add ingredients to a large mixing bowl. "Neji-san, would you and Hanabi-san leave? This next dish is a _sur-prise_," he sing-songed, a pleased flush coming to his cheeks.

"Eri-kun's _weird_," Hanabi whined before she turned heel and left.

Neji shook his head and told him, "I'll see you at the party."

"Sure, Neji-san!"

Eri mixed it just enough and put it in a set of tiny round pans, which he put in another oven. He then began slicing up the fruits, soaking the lemons in honey, and lightly spreading a sugar solution on the apples so they wouldn't brown. He then sat to wait for his concoctions to be done.

He hummed, content that his day had gone well so far. Once everything was finished, he'd go get dressed for the party.

* * *

><p>A moment before the party, Hinata came in with Neji as Eri put the lid on the last box. She gasped at him still in his normal clothes and scolded, "Eri-chan! What are you doing? Come on, you have to get dressed!"<p>

She took his hand and dragged him into his room. "Hurry! You need to be ready so we can have you greet the guests!"

He nodded as she closed the door behind him. He took out his yukata, which was baby blue embroidered with nadeshiko and cherry blossoms. He put it on and tied the baby blue sash. He then stepped out, only for Hinata to put a pink-fringed flower behind his ear. He didn't question it, in fact he smiled.

"Thanks, Hinata-chan."

"It goes with your yukata," she pointed out. "You look cute that way, Eri-chan."

Neji, who was in a white yukata, narrowed his eyes at the sight of such a manly guy wearing such…_flowery_ adornments. "Eri-kun, did you make that yourself?"

"Yes. Cherry blossoms and nadeshiko flowers are my favorites because they're pink, and the blue balanced it out. I might make a different one for this October's Kyubi festival, since it's going to be the first I'll get to celebrate with all my friends."

Neji stared at Eri's flushed face and frowned. "You never told us your birthday, Eri-kun. We'll have to celebrate it this year."

Eri looked up, confused. "My birthday? Um…it's…October tenth."

The two Hyuga cousins gasped in surprise and Hinata murmured, "The same as Naruto-kun's…"

"Are you Naruto's twin?" Neji demanded.

Eri raised his eyebrows and asked, "Twin? I didn't know I had any relation to Naruto-kun at all."

"It's not—" Neji began, only for Hiashi to call, "Eri-san! The guests are here!"

Eri ran over, careful to keep his yukata from flying about his legs. He saw it was Kiba and Akamaru. He bowed and greeted, "Welcome, and thank you for coming to my party, Kiba-kun and Akamaru!"

Akamaru barked happily and wagged his tail, while Kiba grinned. "Thanks, Eri-chan! You've become even more beautiful than when I first met you! What do you think, Akamaru?"

Eri held out his closed hand and Kiba instantly took what was offered to him. He opened his hand and his eyes widened.

"Why are you giving me back the promise ring? You should be wearing it joyfully!"

Eri bowed again, deeper this time, in apology. "I'm sorry, but I cannot accept your proposal. It isn't right, and would never bear fruit."

"Why?" Kiba asked, only for Akamaru to whimper and bark. His eyes almost popped out of their sockets. "You mean you're a _guy_?"

"I never claimed otherwise, you just assumed and I didn't correct you at the time. I'm a boy, but I'm also an otomen."

"Otomen? What's an otomen?"

* * *

><p>There were more returns of rings until all Eri had was the Uchiha promise ring left, and he hadn't seen Sasuke yet, so he'd have to wait until later. He'd heard rumors that the Uchiha boy had defected to an enemy village, but nothing concrete.<p>

"As you have all found out, Namikaze Eri is a special boy. He's used an odd term when referring to himself," Hiashi began, then placed a hand on Eri's shoulder. " 'Otomen'. What's an 'otomen'? I've heard all of you ask. I will explain that now. Otomen: a boy with girlish interests, hobbies, a feminine heart and mind, otherwise known as a girlish guy.

"When all of you met him, he was all but a small and untrained youth. Now, he's matured into a manly otomen, who is strong and firm in his convictions. He's different, but he's one of the top ninjas and eligible bachelors in the village, no matter what he acts like. I accept him as a gift to my family and clan, and more than that, a real person who deserves respect like everyone else."

Eri blushed and mumbled, "You're embarrassing me, Hiashi-sama."

"Now that I've said my piece, enjoy the meals made especially by Eri-san!"

* * *

><p>Hours later, everyone went home, talking about how Eri had been the perfect hostess and the food had been the best they'd ever tasted, even the tiny cakes he'd made, which had been frosted to look like a field of flowers.<p>

"Tenten, what fire and liveliness Eri-san had!" Rock Lee praised. "A wonderful mix of femininity and a masculine confidence! He surely has the flames of youth burning inside of him!"

Tenten looked back at the house and smiled. "Yes, he does."

Unknown to them, an unknown watched grinned. "Great. I could use this to my advantage."

* * *

><p>Eri stretched as he walked to his room, Hiashi following.<p>

"The party was a great success, don't you think?"

The golden-haired young man nodded, as he looked up at the moon amidst a sky full of stars. "So pretty…" he breathed, a soft smile on his face.

Hiashi smirked at how many marriage offers would be made to Eri, even if it had been quite a shock to find out who he was. He left Eri to gaze at the stars, since he often did so when it came to such things.

Eri felt a presence as soon as Hiashi was far enough away. He turned to see a shadowy figure approach him. He waited as the figure approached him, his hands in his sleeves. Moonlight washed over the person's face and Eri's eyes widened.

"Sasuke-kun…"

Sasuke smirked. "Hello Eri-chan, surprised to see me?"

"Of course. You left Konohagakure no Sato and didn't even look for me, the one you gave this promise ring."

"Sorry, but I had other things to do while I was gone."

"You hardly spoke to me when we last met, only to give me your name and shove this in my hands. Were you that smitten?"

"You could say that. Now that I have grown older and more powerful, I can take you away from here and we can get married. Then we—"

"Sasuke-kun, you have a case of mistaken gender."

"What are you talking about? You're a girl! There's no mistake!"

"Yes, there is. I'm a boy, even if my personality is distinctly feminine."

"You could be under a transformation! I don't believe you!"

Eri held out the ring and pushed it at Sasuke's chest. Sasuke took the ring and frowned, then took Eri by the shoulders, pulling him forward into a kiss—

Pop.

A log with Eri's yukata around it appeared in his place. Sasuke dropped it and scanned the area for Eri's chakra, but found him gone. He growled in frustration, "I'll find you Eri, and I'll make you my wife. Just you wait."

From his hiding place in the rafters, Eri turned green. Marry another man? The concept was loathsome to say the least. He waited until Sasuke was gone before traveling to his room, where he put on his sleeping yukata and went to bed.

* * *

><p>I've noticed that some people get offended by gaylesbian slighting/jokes in my fics. My characters form that way, and most of the time it's in character for the characters the the series I'm basing the story off of. I am not a homophobe, in fact I have friends who are bent that way, so this isn't meant to be taken seriously.

Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Otomen!

After such awkwardness with Sasuke, how could things possibly get worse?

* * *

><p>The next morning Eri went to the Hokage and she noticed his silent entrance.<p>

"You can come out."

He landed on the floor and straightened up, in his ANBU uniform, his mask a dog, his blonde hair transformed to black, to hide his identity further.

"Captain Canis, report."

"I had an encounter with Uchiha Sasuke."

Tsunade nodded. "I'm not surprised, considering your connection with him. How did he react to how you looked?"

"He refused to believe it was true, what I'd transformed to fool him. He attempted to force himself on me, but I used a substitution to escape and hid myself. He couldn't sense me so he swore he'd find me and…marry me."

The busty blonde snorted. "We can use this to capture Sasuke easily. Even if you would protest it, Captain Canis, I must insist. There are bigger fish to fry that will be drawn in if we capture Sasuke and use _him_ as bait."

"Yes Hokage-sama," Eri answered, but as he vanished, he grumbled, "This is the worst trap _ever_, me being _bait_. I'm gonna puke."

Tsunade laughed and read a note on her desk.

_Tsunade,_

_I just had to tell you first before I begin writing. I've found inspiration for a new book that will appeal to women readers, including you. Considering the characters, if will have to be a pure, loving story without anything fun, but at least you won't beat me up about it! :)  
><em>

_Jiraiya _

* * *

><p>Eri walked through the streets of Konohagakure, as he was heading to Training Area 15 to—what else?—train. The rest of his unit was off on a mission, since he <em>was<em> on a mission at the time being. He got to the training ground, only to find it was occupied. A girl a year older than him was practicing with a boy with a bowl cut, thick eyebrows, wearing slightly baggy green spandex. Off to the side, Neji was observing.

"Neji-san!" Eri called, waving.

Said boy's eyes snapped to his clanmate and they rolled as Eri ran over, a grin on his face. "Why are you here?"

"I came to train, and this is my favorite spot. Are these your teammates?"

"Yes. Rock Lee and Tenten. This is Namikaze Eri."

Rock Lee turned and came over. "Ah! I saw you at the party last night! Something seems to be troubling your fiery aura!"

Eri shrugged. "I dunno, who doesn't have their troubles? It's part of being a ninja."

Neji raised his eyebrows. "You weren't like this yesterday, so it's recent. What happened?"

Eri's face turned white, then red as he thought about the mission. He shook his head. "Tsunade-sama would have my head if I told you."

Neji frowned, but nodded. He then looked over at the girl, who's back was still turned. "Tenten, you're never shy. Come over and say hello to Eri-san."

The girl, turned, revealing she had her hair in buns, a large set of brown eyes, and a pretty face. She wasn't a babe, but rather solid for a girl her age, a sign of dedicated training. She wore a Chinese style white top and red pants, black ninja sandals on her feet, and her hitae-ate on her forehead.

The very sight of her had Eri's heart pounding and his face flushed darkly. He bowed quickly and greeted, "It's nice to meet you, Tenten-san!"

Tenten smiled and bowed as well. "I didn't get to introduce myself at the party last night. Thanks for the invite."

"It was my pleasure, Tenten-san!"

Eri straightened up again, his heart still racing. He knew this had to be love at first sight, for no one else had made his heart pound this way. He struggled with his extra shyness, but only bowed again and blurted, "I'm sorry, I have to go!"

He fled, only slowing down when he was far enough away that he was sure he was alone. He then held his heart with both hands. He shivered and whispered, "I never knew I'd be the type to fall in love so easily…" He looked up and smiled, face dreamy. "Tenten-san…"

He ended up sitting on a stone bench, so lost in his feelings his hands moved by themselves. He sighed as he worked, so lost in his thoughts that when Naruto and Sakura came by, they gaped at what was being created without any conscious thought. They watched him work for a while and were surprised when he bit the last thread off and blinked, coming out of his daze. He lifted what he'd made and his eyes widened. "What did I do? It's even the right size."

Sakura came up to him and asked, "You had a dreamy look on your face as you sewed that kimono. It's so finely stitched, how can you do that subconsciously?"

"I did?"

Naruto guffawed. "You're so girly you sew when you daydream!"

Sakura hit her teammate over the head and scolded, "Naruto, you insensitive jerk! Don't make fun of Eri-kun just because he's acting naturally to his feelings!" She then turned to Eri. "I think you're in _love_, Eri-kun."

Eri blushed and averted his eyes. "How…did you know?"

"I've been in love before and I know how a girl's face looks when she thinks about the one she cares about. You were sighing too, another sign. It also looks like you make things when you're thinking about whoever it is you're in love with. Who is it? Is it even a girl?"

Both Naruto and Eri turned green and the latter protested, "It's a girl! I could _never_ love a boy!"

"So, who is she?"

Eri lowered his heads so his eyes were hidden. "Um…it's—"

"Eri-san, you ran away so fast I hardly said hello and gave my name."

Eri squeaked and jumped off the bench, to see Tenten behind him. She smiled at him and his blush deepened. He stammered, "H-h-hello, a-a-gain, T-Tenten-san!"

Tenten saw the kimono and laughed in amazement. "You made that? It's so well done!"

He folded it and held it out, and she asked, "For me? Can I have it?"

He nodded and she took it, a bright smile on her face. "Thanks, Eri-san! It's beautiful! I'll wear it to the festival next month!"

He smiled, extremely pleased with himself that she liked what he made. She then startled him by saying, "Eri-san, I followed you because I wanted to say something to you."

Eri stood stone-still, shocked that Tenten already had something to say to him.

"You're so cute I can't resist asking. Would you go out with me?"

Naruto exclaimed in surprise, while Sakura smiled. _This_ was the one Eri loved? There wasn't a better girl for him.

"Y-yes. I will."

"Thanks! How about we meet tomorrow in front of the Hokage Tower?"

"N-no! Not there! How about in front of the Uchiha Compound? I don't, um, want too much…attention that we're going to be dating."

Tenten looked puzzled, before she nodded. "Okay. How about eleven in the morning? Is that good?"

"Yes, it's perfect."

"Well then, I'll get going, Neji and Lee are waiting."

Eri gazed after her with a wonderstruck look. Sakura smiled and clutched her heart. "This is _so_ cute! You'll have to tell me all about it!"

Naruto lit up. "Since you support Eri-kun and Tenten's date, can we go on one?"

"No."

"But Sakura-chan…"

"I said no."

"Aww…you're so cruel…"

* * *

><p>Eri readied himself for his date and smiled: he wore a deep rose button-up shirt, black slacks and black dress shoes. He braided his hair, containing it more than a ponytail. He picked a necklace with the Uzumaki swirl as a pendant that was exposed because the first button of his shirt was undone. He checked himself a couple times before he was satisfied, then headed out, only to pass Hiashi, who smirked as he saw how nicely the teen was dressed.<p>

He ran to the meeting spot, only to run into Sasuke, who grabbed onto him.

"I caught you!"

"Sasuke, stop! Leave me alone!"

"I won't! I promised I'd get you away from here and marry you! Now come with me!"

"No! I won't let you! I don't even like you!"

Eri Body Flickered away, hiding his chakra. Sasuke crossed his arms and shouted, "I'll keep following you until I finally drag you off! I swear you'll like me, even if I have to brainwash you!"

Eri escaped to go on his date, his eyes lighting up when he saw Tenten was waiting and called, "Tenten-san!"

She turned and smiled. "Eri-san!"

He took in her outfit and stared appreciatively: she wore a burgundy china dress, her hair in a single bun, and dress shoes. He came over and they bowed to each other. He then asked, "So, where to?"

"We're going to lunch at a favorite restaurant of mine, then we'll see after that."

He followed her to a small bar and they sat at the counter. "Two dragon rolls, please!" Tenten chirped.

The chef turned and greeted, "Tenten! I haven't seen you here in a while! Is this a friend of yours?"

Tenten put an arm around Eri's shoulders. "This is my boyfriend, Namikaze Eri!"

Eri blushed at both the contact and being proclaimed to be her "boyfriend". He liked it a lot, so he said nothing.

"Ah, I've heard of you! Aren't you the one who broke the record on how quickly the Jonin and ANBU exams were passed? Your career is flawless and you did it without informing the general population!"

Eri tilted his head. "My information has been released?"

"Only in the confines of the village, although I'm sure it won't stay that way once you begin your public ninja career! Are you going to become a Jonin-sensei this year? I'm sure that many of the newest candidates would flourish under your tutelage!"

"Um…I haven't decided yet. I don't know if it would fit into my current schedule, being as it is."

The dragon rolls were put in front of the pair, and the chef rinsed his tools as he replied, "Even the Yondaime took on a set of students! I don't doubt you're aiming to be Rokudaime!"

Tenten gasped and demanded, "You _are_, Eri-san? That's so ambitious! I only thought Naruto was aiming for that!"

Eri blushed at her approving look and fidgeted. "I didn't want anyone to know…especially Naruto-kun."

The brown-haired young woman nodded in understanding. "It goes without saying: he'd be extremely jealous and get ticked off at you, and that would turn into hatred if you surpassed him and became Hokage first. Does Tsunade-sama approve of this goal?"

"Yes, since she knows of my skill and chakra capacity. She says I have the greatest chance at succeeding her if anything were to happen to her or when she steps down as Hokage. Being as I am, even if I'm not ashamed, I don't know if the villagers would accept me."

"I think you'd make a great Hokage, Eri-san. You have the perfect combination of compassion and ruthlessness, and kindness and strength, all things a Hokage needs. And if Tsunade-sama says you have the greatest chance at succeeding her, it's the truth."

Eri fell silent, not sure if his reply was appropriate for a first date. All he wanted was to get married, have kids and live a long life. He wanted a loving wife, a comfortable home, simple things like that, without his complicated ninja life and heritage getting in the way. He already was under his mother's surname as a ninja so he wouldn't be hunted by his father's enemies, even if he looked more like Minato than Kushina with his long hair, yet the name threw them off. He couldn't say these things right now, because he was in public and he didn't know who was listening, and again, this wasn't appropriate for a first date.

"You're so cute Eri-san, that you're so touched you're speechless. Don't worry, I'll support you through all of this, even protect you from your enemies."

Her words made him turn red again and he stuffed the last piece of his dragon roll into his mouth to keep from saying anything awkward. He felt so pleased he'd just stutter.

"Eri-san?"

He swallowed. "Yes?"

"Let's go to the best place in Konohagakure no Sato."

She took him by the hand and pulled him along the streets, where they climbed up the long set of steps and Tenten pointed out when they were at the top. "Look!"

He gasped when he saw the view of the village from the top of the Hokage Monument. His clothes and hair fluttered in the breeze, and he closed his eyes, breathing in through his nose and out of his mouth. He opened his eyes again to find Tenten in front of him.

"Eri-san, could you close your eyes again for a moment?"

"Okay."

The next second, her lips were on his and he put his arms around her neck, while hers snaked around his waist. It was warm and made his stomach flutter.

"Eri, I think we should do this again tomorrow, if I'm not called out on a mission."

"Sure."

* * *

><p>Eri came home that night, a silly smile on his face. Neji smirked at him and asked, "Are you going to float away? You look positively buoyant."<p>

The blonde boy blushed and held his heart. "I've never felt like this…it's wonderful. Neji-san, are you going on a mission tomorrow?"

"Going out again so soon?"

"Yeah. She asked and I said okay."

"If you're like this now, I give it a month."

"Until what?"

"Until either you drag her to bed and make her pregnant, or propose. I'll bet you fifty ryo."

Eri's face lit up in an embarrassed flush. "Neeejiii-saaaan! That's embarrassing! I wouldn't do _that_ so soon!"

"So you're scared you'll lose the bet?"

"I don't gamble, Neji-san."

"You're such a pure girl, it's surprising that no one's taken advantage of that."

"Just because I'm pure doesn't mean I have no common sense. I'm not some naïve kid like I used to be when I first came here, Neji-san."

"I'd question your cleverness as a ninja if you were."

"You're mean."

"I was just telling the truth. Good night, Eri-san."

"Good night, Neji-san."

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><p>And there you go!<p>

Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Otomen!

Let's see if anyone's surprised by this chapter... *snickers*

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><p>A month later found the two on the floor of Eri's room, their hands wandering and their lips fused together. Just as Eri began to pull her shirt up, he realized what he was doing and recoiled, getting off her and scooting away.<p>

Tenten sat up, her chest heaving from lack of breath, cheeks flushed. "I'm grateful you pulled away. If we'd kept going, we'd have a baby out of wedlock and I love you too much to sully you like that."

Eri was shocked still by her proclamation. She loved him? He'd thought _he'd_ be the one to confess first! "I love you too, Tenten."

They held each other for a moment before she took his hand and pulled him up. "Come on, we'd better do this now, and do this right, or else this'll continue."

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><p>They went straight to Hiashi, who listened to their tale and proclaimed, "Then you're secretly engaged and the wedding will be in two days. I doubt you want this getting out and informing the <em>wrong<em> people."

Tenten nodded. "The honeymoon'll have to be short too, for the same reasons. We have to hope I don't get pregnant or else _I'll_ be the target of kidnap for Eri's enemies."

"We can only hope, although your parents would _love_ to have some grandchildren."

Eri blushed. "Hiashi-sama, you _do_ know that as per tradition, we have to be separated until the wedding?"

"You're right. Tenten-san, I _must_ insist that you tell no one, even your parents, for there are ears everywhere. It must seem that you're still dating, for you know who shadows Eri-san's every footstep."

Tenten nodded, a serious look on her face. "He's jealous enough without thinking Eri's lost to him, that would escalate to fatal violence."

Hiashi nodded solemnly. "I see we understand each other. Go now, and return here in two days."

Tenten bowed. "Yes, Hiashi-sama."

When she was gone, the head of the Hyuga Clan turned to Eri. "My advice also applies to you. Not a single clue to _anyone_ that your relationship has changed. The only other who can know is the Hokage, for she will be performing the ceremony. So it is your mission _not_ to get your fiancée pregnant until Sasuke is captured."

"Yes sir."

"Now get to bed, you need your rest."

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><p>A couple nerve-wracking days went by until the wedding, and it was then that Eri began to freak out as he was readied by Hiashi, who told him not to look in a mirror until after the wedding.<p>

"My feet feel cold, are you sure they aren't frozen?"

"They're fine. You're nervous, it's understandable. Why don't you imagine what your bride is going to be like during the wedding? That should get you excited."

His eyes closed and then he imagined Tenten dressed beautifully in a wedding kimono with lovely ornaments in her hair, face flushed as she walked up to him. He felt lightheaded and swooned, Hiashi catching him.

"Eri-san! Not _that_ excited."

Eri squealed. "Tenten…"

"Get a hold of yourself! If you faint, the wedding cannot go on!"

"The vision of loveliness!" Eri exclaimed as he regained his senses. "Am I done already?"

"Just one more thing—there. Lift up your kimono and let's get going."

They exited the room, and Reina gasped in awe. "Eri! You look so _beautiful_! I never thought it would fit you so well!"

Eri blushed. "Thanks, Oka-san."

"Son, you're doing me proud," Hoji praised as he placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "I'm sure she'll protect you and take good care of you, but remember, the marriage is a partnership, so care for and protect her, too."

Hiashi put a finger to his lips as he guided Eri deep into the Hyuga Compound, where they had their own shrine.

When they entered the shrine, Tenten and Eri stared at each other. Tenten was dressed in the groom's garments, complete with a samurai ponytail, while Eri wore the bride's, even with the traditional hood and white paint on his skin. He didn't even notice he was sitting on a low stool until Tenten took his left hand and slid a ring on his finger. He blinked and took her left hand, doing the same to her, save he knew this ring was the one had mother had worn ever since she'd married his father. He smiled at Tenten and Tsunade announced, "Stand, and now that you are man and wife, you can kiss the bride."

Tenten brought him down for a kiss, and Hiashi clapped with the Hokage, only for a malevolent chakra to spike and a familiar chirping noise warned Eri of the danger. He pushed Tenten out of the way and kicked Sasuke in the stomach with a chakra-enhanced foot. The other young man flew back, but regained his feet quickly.

"Eri! You all right?" Tenten asked as she ran over to him, eyes full of worry, only for Eri to shout, "Get behind me!" and threw kunai at Sasuke, only for the Uchiha to flip a tatami mat to block.

"You've finally shown your teeth Eri-chan," Sasuke purred, as he straightened up and threw the damaged flooring aside. "I want you all the more because you're powerful. I'll enjoy this fight, for it will be your last. I can't have you attacking me, so I'll have Orochimaru seal your chakra coils."

Eri didn't even reply, he just attacked, as he ran, he threw his wedding kimono in front of him to confuse him, but the dark-haired ninja didn't let it distract him, he ducked underneath and was met with a Rasengan to the neck. He fell back again, coughing and wheezing in labored breaths.

"You-you're so fast… H-how…?"

He was pinned and locked in chakra shackles the next second, as Eri picked up his fallen kimono, by a group of ANBU and Hiashi, who began to block his chakra points faster than the eye could follow.

Eri smiled and sing-songed, "That's for me to know, Sasuke-san. My apologies, but you threatened my wife."

Tenten hugged her new husband and looked at the traitor with anger. "You lowlife, Eri and I won't be parted because you're being blind. Eri's a man and will always be. Get over your childish delusions and grow up, Sasuke."

Dark eyes widened at the sight of the kunoichi. "Tenten? I—"

He passed out from lack of chakra and his injuries.

Tsunade waved them away. "Get going, it's time for your honeymoon!"

Eri nodded and lifted Tenten up bride-style before he disappeared.

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><p>Were any of you surprised by this? Anyone?<p>

Please review!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Otomen!

I think things from here on out get pretty screwy, but I'm a crazy writer!

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><p>Eri was sharpening his kunai when Tenten entered the room, three months later. She'd been ill lately, but had chalked it up as exerting herself. Finally, after she'd started losing weight, she'd relented and gone to see Tsunade.<p>

"Eri?"

"Yes, love?"

"I'm pregnant."

He dropped his weapon and saw her glowing with happiness. He ran to her and hugged her tight. "We're going to have a baby!"

"I'm glad you're not dreading it, Eri! It makes me _so_ happy!"

"Why wouldn't I be? Our first baby! I can't wait!"

"Do you want to see it?"

"Of course!"

"Come on, then! Tsunade-sama's going to do an ultrasound!"

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><p>As they walked to the hospital, Eri felt a slight chill go down his back, but he shook it off. Tenten nearly skipped, she was so excited, and Eri almost joined her. It was still hidden that they were involved at all beyond dating, but everyone on the street knew something was different today.<p>

"Tenten, calm down or else I won't get a clear picture," Tsunade scolded the bouncing girl. She pressed the probe onto the bare midriff of the brown-haired ninja and peered at the screen. Her eyebrows knitted together as she moved it all over, only to sigh. "Tenten, I'm sorry. It seems you've miscarried."

Disbelief washed over both the parents' faces and then the ex-mother wailed, "Nooooo!"

Eri's grief over losing his first child was contained, for he knew his wife would descend deeper into despair if he cried too. He held her, as she began to sob.

"It happens sometimes, you two. You can try again in a month or two, but for now, rest and calm yourselves."

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><p>For an entire month, Tenten was inconsolable. All she did was sob into Eri's shoulder, as he rubbed her back and let silent tears trickle down his face.<p>

A knock came to their door and Eri called, "Come in."

Hiashi came in and stated, "You're both wasting away in here." He turned on his Byakugan and stared at their chakra. "You're both losing chakra and—what's this?"

Eri's eyes widened, as Hiashi's face bloomed into a smile. "I still see a child inside! You haven't miscarried, Tenten-san!"

Tenten shot up, moving away from her husband. "What?!"

Hiashi's eyebrows pinched together as he stared harder, then murmured, "Impossible…"

Eri stood and asked, "Is something wrong with the baby?"

"No, but it seems your firstborn has had a change of address."

The soon-to-be parents' confusion was palpable. "Huh?"

* * *

><p>Tsunade shut off her chakra and nodded. "As Hiashi-sama said, it should be impossible, but there's no denying it. Eri is now the carrying parent."<p>

Eri held his slightly-swelled middle. "I wondered why I'd been growing soft in my middle. I thought it was because of the stress-eating."

Tenten demanded, "What kind of joke is this?! Who would cast a technique that would transfer our baby from me to him?!"

The blonde Sannin shook her head. "I don't know, but perhaps through extensive observation, we may just find out."

Eri blushed and mumbled, "I think I just felt a kick."

Tenten passed out, unable to handle it. Tsunade placed a hand on Eri's stomach. "This is a freak miracle. I thought your firstborn would be hidden through Tenten, but you seem all the more perfect. An otomen, through and through."

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><p>That night, Eri sat on the roof of the Hyuga estate to avoid any cruel eyes. He didn't want to be called a "freak" again, even if no one else knew. He turned abruptly when he sensed Jiraiya land on the roof and prepared himself for some sort of mockery.<p>

"Eri, this is serious, even dangerous."

He blinked and asked, "Pardon?"

"No one's ever told you the dangers of a Jinchuriki being pregnant, let alone a _male_ Jinchuriki."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I heard from Fukasaku when he tried to fuse with you during your training in Sage mode. The other resident inside your body didn't like him trying to join with you, so it lashed out for a moment. Naruto isn't the only Kyubi Jinchuriki. He was possessed by the Yin half, while you weren't so fortunate."

"No one's supposed to know, the Sandaime took it to his grave."

"Don't worry, we're the only ones who know. The Kyubi's Yang half has cursed you with this, because it wants to escape. The gestation process will be a long _ten_ months, which will draw power from the seal. I don't know what will happen once you go into labor, a drawn out delivery is inadvisable, especially when it caused the deaths of your parents. Also, the Kyubi's chakra may leak out, so it might attract the Akatsuki's attention, which will make you a _very_ tempting target, especially if the Akatsuki are in close range when you're due."

"So this sixteen-year-old secret might be disclosed because I'm too feminine for my own good? This doesn't seem fair, but if Naruto's being hunted because his seal is inferior to mine and it's been revealed that I will have a greatly-weakened one six months from now, neither of us will be safe."

"Let's hope that the Akatsuki won't push too hard against our defenses or else things will get ugly, and fast."

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><p>Yeah...you think I might've gone off the deep end with this one? *chuckles* This one definitely is cracked.<p>

Please review!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Otomen!

Now that everyone knows I've cracked with this story, let's go onwards!

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><p>Six months passed without incident and Eri looked paler, yet he glowed, even if he was under a high-level transformation to keep all from knowing of his delicate condition. He still trained, although lightly, or else he would've lost his muscular frame and reflexes.<p>

He was doing so when Naruto visited him.

"Eri-kun!"

"Oh! Naruto!"

"You're so pale, are you sure you're all right?"

"I'm fine, promise."

"Ero-sennin's been visiting a lot lately, and he's been jumpy. He also watches your every move."

"It's hard _not_ to notice."

Naruto frowned. "You're being evasive on purpose! Even if we're not the closest of friends, you can still trust me! I feel like you're my brother, even if we have different last names!"

"I—"

Jiraiya leaped from the trees and landed next to Eri. "It's time to go, Eri. Naruto, you can talk to him later."

"Ero-sennin! Wherever you're going, let me come too!"

"Sorry Naruto, this isn't for you to tag along for."

Eri waved to his twin and followed Jiraiya, who led him to a bunker, which had a trap door, which led to an underground cavern. Jiraiya bit his thumb, swiped it across his palm and summoned a barrier just as Eri passed, and Tsunade called, "You're early, Jiraiya. Eri's pain monitor is at low."

"Considering this has never happened before, we don't know what to expect when his labor comes."

"We won't have to worry about that very much, we're doing a C-section, remember? He won't feel a thing."

"Where's Tenten?"

"She's off on a mission with her team. They're due back today, but _when_ is uncertain."

Eri sat on the altar that had been fitted with cushions, exactly his size when lying down, just in case the Kyubi got close to escaping during the surgery. He felt Naruto's chakra signature somewhere in the cavern, but didn't say anything because the barrier was already in place and couldn't be undone without weakening it greatly. This may prove to be useful, since if the Akatsuki attacked, they'd have a tough time getting at either Kyubi Jinchuriki. He looked around the dark, dreary cave they were in and frowned. Was this really a proper place to deliver a baby, especially via C-section?

He looked at the floor, and then suddenly his vision blurred as a sharp ache went through his entire middle. He felt a warm wetness where the pain came from and placed his hand there, only to pull it back and see blood dripping down his arm from his palm. He was vaguely aware of hands pushing him down as his transformation was removed, then everything was black.

* * *

><p><em>Eri entered the maximum security cell at the ninja prison. A full squad of ANBU spread themselves about the room, at the ready, just in case. The prisoner was covered in blood sealing to keep his chakra suppressed and his arms and legs were in shackles that completely enclosed them, and to top it off, spiked chains were wrapped around most of him, to keep him immobile. He opened his eyes and a sneer appeared on his lips.<em>

"_What brings you here, Eri-_kun_?"_

"_How are you feeling?"_

"_Like I'm wrapped in chains and shackled to the ceiling and floor. How do you think I'm feeling?"_

"_Hmm. Are you hungry at all?"_

"_This stupid seal keeps me from getting hungry. What do you want?"_

_Eri lifted a bento box that was wrapped in a cloth with teddy bears on it. "I thought we could share a meal together, if that's all right."_

"_I don't need your friendship," Sasuke spat._

"_Did I say I had an ulterior motive?"_

_The Uchiha young man gave him a glare, but muttered, "Do what you want."_

_The ANBU closest to Eri put a stool down and the blonde nodded his thanks as he sat. He untied the knot on the cloth and unwrapped the box, lifting the lid. A cute, delicious-looking lunch was revealed and there was a loud snap as Eri pulled a pair of chopsticks apart. He then picked up a morsel and placed it in Sasuke's mouth, the older teen chewing and swallowing, before his eyes widened._

"_It tastes like my mom's cooking. How did you…" He paused, scowling. "Where did you learn to cook like this?"_

"_Self-study. I seem to have a talent for it. Would you like more?"_

_All he did was a curt nod and Eri complied. It was as if Sasuke was starving, he ate every bite, but Eri knew that it was because he felt the love and care that he'd put into the food, along with his caring and gentle manner._

"_Sasuke-kun, what about me did you like?"_

_Sasuke frowned and shot back, "Why?"_

"_Just curious."_

_He glowered at the younger teen for a moment before answering. "I'd never met a person like you before."_

_Eri raised his eyebrows in question, and the dark-haired teen elaborated further._

"_Your purity and innocence could be easily seen, you were untainted by darkness and sorrow, unlike me. And…" He paused, a light blush on his cheeks._

"_And?" Eri prompted._

"_Everything about you was just too…_cute_…for me to resist."_

"_You…thought I was cute?"_

"_Yes, and you only morphed into a great beauty when you matured. I was blind to your masculine features. I didn't think you'd refuse me. I was arrogant, since there hadn't been a girl had ever _not_ thrown herself at me."_

"_It's fine, now that you realize you had an infatuation with a boy."_

"_Yeah."_

_One of the ANBU came over to Eri and murmured, "It's been thirty minutes, Uzumaki-san."_

_Eri nodded. "Thank you for the reminder." He cleaned up and stood, Sasuke confused. "It was a nice visit Sasuke-kun, but I need to get going."_

_He turned and began to walk away to the massive doors, when Sasuke called, "Will you come back another time?"_

_Eri smiled and turned back. "Do you want me to?"_

"_If you can spare the time, please."_

"_Of course. Perhaps next week."_

"_I'll be looking forward to it, Eri-kun."_

_And thus began the rehabilitation of Sasuke Uchiha._

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><p>"We have to do something about all this bleeding, Tsunade!" Jiraiya shouted.<p>

"Don't you think I've tried?!" Tsunade hissed back. "With this much blood loss, we can't risk a C-section. He'll have to give birth naturally."

"_What_?! What if the seal breaks?! I'm not about to make Eri's newborn into a Jinchuriki!"

"You'll just have to keep feeding the seal with chakra to strengthen it, then after Eri delivers, tighten the seal again. Once that is complete, we can take him to the hospital and give him the care he needs. Don't let your emotions cloud your judgment, Jiraiya."

Jiraiya cursed under his breath as he placed his hands on Eri's swollen belly, then noticed the teen was awake. "Tsunade, he's come to."

The Hokage came over and wiped the sweat off Eri's forehead. "Are you with us, Eri?"

"Yes…" Eri breathed. "I feel like there's a gaping hole in my stomach…"

"That's because your body has formed a birth canal on the underside of your stomach. You're now going to have to deliver naturally, because you've lost too much blood to put you under and cut you open. You haven't felt any labor pains, but you _must_ stay conscious or you'll die. Understand?"

Eri nodded weakly, just an enormous pain ripped through his middle. His eyesight blurred, but he gritted his teeth, trying to keep from fainting again.

"Breathe, Eri! _Breathe_!"

He gasped, sounding like he'd been close to drowning.

"Now you have to remember to breathe through the pain, holding your breath _won't_ make it better. When it hits you, I want you to breathe in this pattern: two short breaths in, one long breath out."

"Yes, Tsunade-sama…"

All too soon the pain hit again, but as he breathed, he heard Tsunade order, "Push!"

He raised his eyebrows. "Push what?"

Jiraiya chuckled as Tsunade facepalmed. "I can't believe I'm instructing a man how to give birth…the instincts just aren't—"

Just then Eri gritted his teeth and pushed hard, his whole body shaking has the woman counted in her head.

"Good! Now breathe!"

* * *

><p>For the next several hours, Eri was put through the worst experience of his life. The closer the baby got to being born, the weaker the seal on the Kyubi got. Everyone was exhausted, but Tsunade informed Eri, "You're crowning! We're almost there!"<p>

Red chakra began to leak through the seal as Eri shrieked through his last push, and Tsunade's face broke into a smile. "It's a girl, Eri!"

Almost immediately the newborn was voicing her birth screams, and Jiraiya began working on strengthening the seal again right away. Tsunade washed the infant before placing the child in her father's arms. She then went to work on stabilizing the feminine boy so he could be moved after the seal was restored.

A violent quaking went through the cave, making the baby scream with fear, Eri holding his daughter close in his weak arms. The two older ninjas looked to the ceiling in alarm.

"That amount of chakra…it _must_ be the Akatsuki."

"I don't doubt they're tearing the village apart trying to find the Kyubi. Tsunade, I just finished. Are you ready?"

"Yes. They must've sensed the leak of chakra. Eri, what's your daughter's name to be?"

Eri tore his eyes away from his daughter to whisper, "Kushina, in honor of her grandmother. Tenten and I decided on that name a while ago, if our baby was a girl." He then returned his blue eyes to the wailing newborn, stroking her whiskered cheeks then downy hair. "Kushina-chan…my baby… Your red hair is so beautiful and soft…"

Jiraiya lifted Eri, who was lacking the large stomach now with bandages around his torso, and his eyes narrowed as he finally sensed Naruto's chakra. "Naruto, come out now."

Tsunade's eyes widened as the second Kyubi Jinchuriki jumped out from behind a boulder, eyes narrowed.

"What kind of sick technique was cast on Eri that he had to go through all _that_?" he snarled. "He could've _died_, Tsunade-obaa-chan! You _never_ said he was a Jinchuriki!"

"I only found out the night before Naruto," Tsunade answered tightly. "It's a closely-guarded secret that very few people know, for good reason. Now we have to get Eri to the hospital at once, then rush back out to defend the village against the Akatsuki. Whatever you do, you must not breathe a word about Eri, we need to keep him safe. You know enough to determine what fate would be given to Eri if he's found out."

"I will, Tsunade-obaa-chan. Whoever this enemy is, I'll protect Eri from it."

Jiraiya broke the barrier and they rushed through the tunnel, out the bunker, then through the ruined streets of Konohagakure no Sato. People were running about, and Tsunade ordered, "Naruto, engage the enemy, I'll go to the Hokage Tower. Jiraiya, once you get to the hospital, erect a barrier. We don't need it destroyed and Eri's condition worsened from lack of proper care."

Jiraiya nodded and made a beeline for the hospital. He laid Eri in the nearest bed he could find and had a passing medical ninja set up an IV with blood to make a transfusion. Eri began to feel a little better as he regained some blood. The Sannin then set up a barrier and sat down next to his student's side.

"So…Kushina, huh? Suits her. She also has the sign of being born from a Jinchuriki parent: those whiskers."

Eri nodded sleepily, his daughter already fast asleep.

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><p>I didn't get too graphic, because it was from Eri's point of view... The theory of children being born from a Jinchuriki having whiskers like that hasn't been proved, but why else would Naruto be born with those if not because Kushina was the Kyubi Jinchuriki?<p>

Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Otomen!

* * *

><p>Only a couple days later, Jiraiya had to drag Eri from his bed, even if he was still only halfway healed from giving birth, to where the Feudal Lord was meeting to select the new Hokage.<p>

"If only they'd put it off for two more days, I'd be in top condition," Eri grumbled as they speed-walked to the meeting place.

"There's nothing to be done about it now," Jiraiya replied as they reached the door. "So stand tall and hold your ground, Namikaze Eri. Do your dad proud."

They entered as the Feudal Lord spoke. "Oh! Then Danzo—"

"Wait a minute," Eri interrupted, which turned heads of all the people at the table to him. "I believe you're about to select a Hokage that will not be suitable for the role."

"How so?" the Feudal Lord questioned. "He has the credentials and experience of being a ninja so long. Who are you, young man?"

"I am Uzumaki Eri, my lord."

"What is your claim to the title of Hokage?"

"Tsunade-sama, the Godaime Hokage, named me her successor."

Protests sounded at once.

"He's far too young!"

"This claim is ludicrous!"

"This is clearly favoritism!"

"There's no proof!"

The Feudal Lord silenced them with a raised hand. "Do you have proof to verify your claim?"

Eri was handed a scroll by Jiraiya and he handed it to the Feudal Lord, who opened it and read aloud, "I, Tsunade the Namekuji-hime, Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, do name my successor as Uzumaki Eri, ANBU of the above village. He knows over a thousand techniques and has inherited the Will of Fire that every Hokage holds. If this is being read, my title is to be passed to him and no other." He nodded and pointed to the seal. "This is the seal of the Hokage. My apologies, Danzo, but Uzumaki-san is the Rokudaime Hokage."

Eri smiled confidently, even if his body screamed for rest. "I will carry it well, my lord."

* * *

><p>He recovered, Tenten at his side the whole time. "I was so afraid I'd find you dead, Eri."<p>

"You didn't have to worry about me, Tenten."

"Yes, I did! I don't _ever_ want to lose you!"

She hugged him and he smiled, hugging her back. They shared a kiss and he rubbed her back. "Have more faith in me, my love."

She calmed and smiled at him. "Our daughter is beautiful, even if she should've been born from me. I hope this doesn't happen again."

He shrugged and continued dressing. "You didn't think you'd be married to the Rokudaime Hokage, did you?"

"No, but you did it. I'm sure Naruto's peeved about it."

"He is, but he won't raise too much of a stink about it, or else he'll be arrested for badmouthing the new Hokage."

"You're just well enough to go to the Kage Summit. Who will be your other guard?"

Eri smiled as he recalled.

_Right after Eri had been inaugurated as the Rokudaime, he went to visit Sasuke, who was still imprisoned. He brought Kushina, who'd fallen asleep during the journey. He sat on his stool and smiled up at the other ninja._

"_Hello, Sasuke."_

"_Hey, Eri. I sensed quite the battle going on a few days ago."_

"_Yeah, the Akatsuki attacked. The result wasn't pretty."_

"_Were they defeated?"_

"_Quite soundly."_

"_That's good. Any fatalities?"_

"_Nope."_

"_Is that all you came here for?"_

"_Nope. I came here to offer you a deal."_

_Sasuke's eyes became guarded. "A deal for what?"_

"_We've become friends this past while, so I should tell you, I'm now the Rokudaime Hokage."_

"_I didn't think you were the type."_

"_At first I didn't either, but that's another subject altogether. Uchiha Sasuke, I offer you complete clemency in exchange for your loyalty."_

"_That's it? No other restrictions? Punishments?"_

"_No. A true friend wouldn't do that Sasuke, and Naruto would kill me if I gave you further punishments than this," Eri stated, a gentle smile on his face. "So…do we have a deal?"_

_Sasuke grinned and nodded. "With that, yeah, I'll take it."_

_Eri's smile became luminous as he stood and ordered, "Release him."_

"_But…Hokage-sama—"_

"_I trust him not to go back on his word. Now release him."_

"_Yes sir."_

_Sasuke breathed in as the seals and bindings were loosed, landing on his feet. He grasped hands with his friend and promised, "I swear to _never_ leave our village again, and take up the hitae-ate of Konoha once more with pride."_

"_And I swear that you will never need to, my friend," Eri vowed back._

_The moment was spoiled by Sasuke's stomach growling. "I've been spoiled too long Eri, so would you make me a homemade meal again?"_

"_With pleasure, Sasuke."_

"Sasuke will be."

"Sasuke? But he's in prison."

"No, I reinstated him as a Jonin and he's given a vow not to betray Konoha again, and I believe it with all my being."

"I hope your faith isn't placed in the wrong person."

* * *

><p>Sasuke stayed at the doorway as Eri stepped in, bowing to his elder Kages. "Greetings, I'm the new Hokage, Uzumaki Eri."<p>

The other Kages gazed at him as he sat, some more intensely than others. He noticed that it was from the Tsuchikage, Raikage and Kazekage.

"You look just like—" the Raikage and Tsuchikage started.

"—Naruto," the Kazekage finished, reaching out a hand. "You must be that 'Eri' that Naruto's been talking about for so long."

"Then you must be his good friend Gaara," Eri returned, shaking hands with the other teen. "It's great to meet you. Naruto talks a bunch about you too."

Before they could break into further conversation, the Raikage interrupted, "Your likeness to the Yondaime Hokage, the Yellow Flash of Konoha, cannot be ignored! Are you his son? A cousin? A nephew?"

The Mizukage and Gaara blinked in surprise as the Tsuchikage frowned deeply as he nodded.

Eri tilted his head to the side and placed his finger to his cheek, which was whiskered just like his twin's, having had been hidden from after his birth to when his seal had almost been broken. "Um…I didn't know I had any relation to him. I don't think I look anything like the great genius that is the Yondaime Hokage." He then squirmed in uneasiness at being put on the spot and scratched the back of his head. "I thought we were here to discuss the threat that the Akatsuki has become to our nations, not my relation to a former Kage of my village."

The Raikage slammed his fist into the table and shouted, "Answer the question, or I will not discuss anything with you, Rokudaime Hokage!"

Eri winced and nodded, before looking straight into the older and larger Kage's eyes, not a hint of nervousness in them. "I was born with the name Namikaze, so yes, I'm the son of Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime Hokage."

The Tsuchikage nodded. "Thought so. It was never certain he had any children, but here is the proof right here. This boy became Hokage even before his father. He's a true genius."

Eri's face reddened as he rubbed the back of his head. "That's enough with the praise, you're making me blush."

The leader of the samurai cleared his throat. "If we may begin, you will prove your rank by putting your Kage hat on the table in front of you."

They did so, and the true meeting began.

* * *

><p>When Madara Uchiha interrupted the meeting with a proclamation of war, Sasuke and Tenten leaped in front of Eri, who also tensed for battle. Sasuke glared at the masked man and was surprised that he wasn't noticed at all. In fact, it was <em>Eri<em> that the leader of the Akatsuki spoke to next.

"Those eyes…they will not defy me again. This time I'll be rid of you so you'll not be in the way of my plans this time."

Sasuke grabbed onto Eri's arm as suddenly a distortion around the man's eye sucked him in, dragging the Uchiha along with him.

"Eri!" Tenten cried, as the distortion disappeared, Madara along with it. "No, ERI! MADARA, COME BACK! BRING MY HUSBAND BACK!"

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><p>Now what would happen after all this chaos? Anyone wanna venture a guess?<p>

Please review!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Otomen!

This is an attempt at humor from me, so...humor me! *smacks forehead because of bad pun*

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><p>Eri woke to find himself in a cold, stone room. He blinked, confused by the image, only to find that he was hanging upside down, his arms on either side of his head. He couldn't move at all, even his head to look around. His stomach gnawed at him, the weakness only feeding it. He groaned, his voice sounding like his throat had been rubbed with sandpaper.<p>

"You're finally awake, are you?" another gravelly voice asked.

"Sasuke? Is that you?"

"Yeah, who else would it be?"

"Where are we?"

"Beats me."

"How long do you think we've been hanging here?"

"Again, I don't know."

His stomach growled loudly. "Ugh. I'm so hungry. If I could move it, I'd eat my own arm."

"I'd eat my own leg."

They chuckled weakly before Eri's stomach turned. "I'm gonna puke."

"It wasn't that gross to think about, was it?"

"No—"

Eri's body shuddered as he dry heaved, spasms running through him for several minutes until it realized there was nothing to get rid of. He panted, a light sheen of sweat covering him now. Now that he could feel that, he noticed…

"Why am I naked?"

"Don't ask me. I'm naked too."

"What the heck has Madara been doing to us that would require the removal of clothes and weakening us to the point we can't do more than blink and talk?"

"Experiments? You are the most powerful ninja in Konohagakure no Sato right now."

"I don't even want to know what experiments those were."

Just then, feet entered the room and Madara's voice stated, "You're no longer needed here. Go, and see if you can find your way back to your precious allies."

He vanished and Eri grunted as he fell down, Sasuke next to him.

"He must've sapped our chakra and perhaps blood to make us so weak we can't even lift a finger."

"Yeah. I just want to get off the cold floor."

After what seemed like days, they were able to get to their feet and drag themselves to the outside. Eri looked around and was confused. "Where are we?"

"Would you quit asking those questions?" Sasuke snapped. "I don't know."

"Then I guess we'll just have to follow our instincts on where we might find them, since I'm sure they've gathered with all the other nations' ninjas in a certain spot. Thing is, I don't know where."

"Just pick a direction and go."

"East, then."

"East it is."

* * *

><p>Seven months passed, and the Fourth Great Ninja War had ended, victory to the Allied Ninja Forces. Most of them had gone back to their respective villages, but Konoha's forces stayed put, since Naruto (who'd become the Shichidaime) had a feeling his brother and best friend would be drawn here.<p>

He felt something flickering on the edge of his senses, something familiar. He stood up and began to walk out of the room, where he'd been eating breakfast. Hinata, who'd been with him, asked, "What's wrong, Naruto?"

"I feel something. I have to go investigate. Go get Sakura and some other medical ninjas. I'm going to investigate."

"Be careful! It might be dangerous!"

"I'm the Hokage."

He sped out towards the flickering, crossing the battlefield in a flash. He was met with Sakura and her team as she asked, "What's going on? I don't sense any life out here!"

"OW!" a voice yelled.

Naruto ran towards it and Sakura followed, amazed that Naruto had been right.

"Would you stop that?! We've been over this! Cannibalism isn't working!"

"You didn't say that."

"Keep it up and so help me, when we get there, I'll drop you on your butt!"

"You wouldn't do that!"

"Don't push me."

From the mist came two skinny, wobbling figures, one being held piggyback by the other. Both were fully bearded, shaggy hair hiding their eyes, and wearing nothing save loincloths made of an animal skin, one blonde, the other brunette.

"We came out here because of a couple filthy wild men?" Sakura asked in disbelief.

At her voice, both looked up, and the black-haired one grinned, showing yellowed teeth. "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes."

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><p>Sasuke and Eri were given emergency treatment, since they'd been slowly starving to death, their biggest meal a skinny deer. Tenten had been overjoyed Eri was alive, and waited anxiously as he was shaved and given the appropriate haircut. Intensive healing by both Tsunade and Sakura had resulted in them having a jump start at gaining their weight back, so they weren't just sacks of bones. As soon as he was done, she kissed him.<p>

"I thought you were dead all this time! It's a miracle you and Sasuke-kun survived to get here!"

"Gently, Tenten. You're gonna strangle me."

"Sorry, but I'm so happy you're alive!"

"I am too. I wasn't sure how the war went with how terrible the battlefield was. I didn't know if _you_ had died, Tenten."

"Get plenty of rest so you can be fit to travel soon!"

"Sure."

She left, and Tsunade came in, checking them over. "What a time for you to go through this, especially you, Eri. I told your wife about your condition, all of it, so she doesn't blame you for anything."

He smiled and nodded.

"We'll have to get several high-chakra ninjas to try and feed you enough chakra to go through this ordeal…again, and you'll have to be on IV drips in both arms and legs so you won't die from blood loss. With how weak you are, last time will be a piece of cake."

Eri gave a grim smile while Sasuke asked, "What are you two talking about?"

Tsunade considered and Eri pleaded with his eyes. She sighed as she patted Eri's head and answered, "Do you know of the Kyubi?"

Sasuke snorted. "_Everyone_ knows that Naruto's the Kyubi Jinchuriki by now. That's why the Akatsuki attacked Konoha, the attack which put you in a coma. What does that have to do with Eri?"

"Just a moment after Naruto was sealed with the Yin half of the Kyubi, Eri became the Jinchuriki of the Yang half. If you haven't realized it, Naruto and Eri are identical twins."

"They're so different personality-wise, I never would've guessed, yet Eri's never shown any signs of being a Jinchuriki. Are you sure?"

Tsunade nodded. "It was quite obvious after some of its chakra escaped during a certain event."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "What happened?"

"The Kyubi decided to make some mischief and caused Tenten's and Eri's baby to transfer from Tenten to Eri, so it seems that whenever Tenten conceives, Eri will be the carrying parent. This is extremely dangerous, since Eri has the exact same seal as his mother, the previous Kyubi Jinchuriki, had."

"Wha…wha?!"

"I didn't believe it either, Sasuke. It was complicated enough when Eri became pregnant, but Jiraiya informed me of the Kyubi being sealed inside him with that seal, the situation became life-threatening, especially when Eri went into labor, after ten months of the seal weakening to support the fetus. His body formed a birth canal, which caused heavy bleeding. The pain caused Eri to lose consciousness for that part, but he woke soon after to give birth naturally, some of the Kyubi's chakra escaping as the seal almost broke. Luckily, Jiraiya was there to strengthen the seal before and after.

"Unfortunately for Eri and Naruto's mother, an enemy stronger than Pain attacked, and the Kyubi was taken from her, which caused their father, the Yondaime Hokage, to have to make the decision to sacrifice his life to seal one half of the Kyubi inside Naruto, and their mother sealed the other half in Eri. The Uzumaki sealing techniques are much stronger than any other ninja clan's in the world, but soon after the second Jinchuriki candidate was chosen and sent here, it was destroyed by other ninja villages. Naruto and Eri are the only surviving of the blood that we know of, but the techniques were lost when their mother died."

Sasuke gave Eri a long look, but then gritted his teeth. "Eri, you gave me peace when I had none, and offered me friendship when I didn't think I needed it, but the time I did the most. I want to help you through this ordeal, so please, let me at least protect you if I can't offer any chakra."

Eri nodded. "We're best friends, Sasuke. I wouldn't have it any other way. Will he be healed enough by then?"

"I've found out the conception date of the baby, and you'll be delivering in less than a week. Unless we use quite a bit of intense chakra treatments, no, but I know how much this means to the both of you. Naruto will be another, Jiraiya of course, Sakura, Neji, Hinata and Tenten. Are there any others you wish besides the ANBU that know about your condition that you want to help out?"

"Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Rock Lee…Kakashi. I trust them to keep this secret."

Tsunade smiled and bent over so she could whisper in his ear. "I did a DNA test by drawing out some amniotic fluid. It isn't Tenten's, it's half…Uchiha."

His eyes widened, gob smacked.

"I don't know whose it is, but it's certain that it was implanted inside you. I hope this doesn't cause an uproar amongst the others or…estrange you to your wife. If at all possible, I suggest you tell her before you give birth. Until she visits you again, rest well and Sakura will be over to give you another treatment."

He nodded, although he was still speechless because of the revelation. She left and Sasuke demanded, seeing his pale face, "What'd she whisper to you? Something I don't need to hear?"

Eri pressed his lips together and nodded. "You'll find out soon enough."

Sasuke raised his eyebrows, but didn't press him further.

* * *

><p>Yet Eri didn't tell Tenten, even as they found a good spot to have him deliver. They used a reverse summon so that no one would see him wandering around when he obviously wasn't well enough (even though he'd gained most of his weight back that he only looked slightly malnourished), and he sat down on a similar altar that he had when he'd delivered Kushina. Naruto knelt next to him and murmured, "I haven't got to talk to you since we found you, Eri…or should I say Ototo?"<p>

"How do you know I was born second? Everyone who was present died…"

"During the battle with Pain, Otou-san appeared before me, and while I was training to control the Kyubi's chakra, Oka-san did the same. Oka-san told me about the night of our birth…and you were born last. Both of them said they wished they'd had enough chakra to visit you too…but the battle and double sealing was took too much chakra. They told me to watch out for you, for they were sure you were a little different from me, even if we're identical."

Eri smiled. "Thanks, Onii-chan."

"I have to say with the hair you have, you look a lot like Otou-san."

"Jiraiya told me that. The barber took more than I wanted…" Eri pouted as he rubbed his neck, his hair cut like a boy's, the ponytail gone. "I guess it'll grow back in a few years."

"You don't look so girly now."

"I wanted to cry when I found out they'd chopped it off, but I couldn't, didn't have enough fluids in me."

Naruto laughed and patted his younger brother's shoulder. "You'll do just fine. You're strong like Oka-san."

"And there's no one out to steal the Kyubi."

"That too."

Tsunade pushed Naruto out of the way and helped Eri lay down. "You need to rest and not talk so much. Besides, I need to set up the IVs."

An IV was put in each of the major veins on his thighs, the ones on his shoulders, and in his palms. Many quarts of blood were on standby, just in case. Just as she finished, Eri felt the ripping pain that he'd felt before, blood spurting from under his shirt. Tsunade noticed immediately because of the pain monitor and ordered, "Healing and Sealing Teams, to your positions now! The rest of you, watch the entrance!"

Sakura, Ino, Hinata, Neji, Naruto, Sasuke and Jiraiya ran over, placing their hands on particular spots, the young women making sure no further bleeding was within, while the men placed their hands over the seal that had appeared on Eri's middle. Tenten came over and put her hands on Eri's shoulders. Tsunade, who was monitoring the blood flow, raised her eyebrows.

"He's going to thrash around, right? We don't need him pulling out the IVs, and he needs my support. Last time it was just you and Jiraiya-sama."

"And me!" Naruto protested.

"You weren't helping, were you?" Eri muttered, before he let out a shout of pain as the birth canal dug deeper into him.

Sasuke sniggered, Naruto shooting a glare at him. Tsunade gave them a stern look that had them concentrating on their jobs, Naruto having the most chakra to spare to aid with the seal.

* * *

><p>For the next hour, it was a struggle for Eri to stay conscious, but he did so, until the birth canal had formed completely. He was already exhausted from the blood loss, even if it was being rapidly replaced. Tenten kissed his sweaty forehead as Tsunade nodded to the young man that it was time. Eri took a breath to collect himself before he pushed with the first contraction. He couldn't help but scream in the middle, he'd forgotten how much agony it caused.<p>

Ino winced and murmured, "This almost makes me not to want to be a mother."

Sakura shook her head. "This is the worst you'll see, Ino. Women are born to handle this kind of pain. As you can see, men are not."

Tenten scowled. "It's not my fault the Kyubi's Yang half is a vengeful spirit! I would've been happy enough to take this for Eri!"

Eri managed to say through a grimace, "Stop arguing, it's distracting."

"Sorry!" all three apologized.

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><p>Several dragging hours later, the birth screams of a newborn replaced those of Eri, who collapsed in relief. All he needed to endure was the afterbirth, and he was finished. "Finally…"<p>

Tsunade, who had cut the umbilical cord and brought the baby over, shook her head. "It isn't over yet, this was just the first part. It seems the Uzumaki line is genetically geared towards conceiving twins." She leaned over and showed the wailing newborn to Eri. "It's a boy."

The boy had spiky brown hair almost the same shade as Tenten's, only a little darker and whiskered cheeks. He protested being removed from his birth parent, squirming with his newly-freed limbs. Eri's adoring look was all the older Hokage needed to know that this child would be loved and raised right.

"Hinata, take him for me, I have to deliver his sibling."

Hinata nodded and took the baby to get washed. Tsunade then ordered, "It's not over yet, so if your chakra stores are running out, have someone replace you! We're not letting half the Kyubi go free and goad the other out of its prison too!"

Eri struggled through exhaustion and the rolling pain to deliver the second fetus, but red chakra began pouring out through the seal, it taking the form of the Kyubi. Naruto cursed and lit up with his half of the Kyubi's chakra, shouting, "Kurama, do something about your other half! He doesn't know that Eri's not his enemy!"

'**I know, but I'd try to escape if I was staked down like I was in Kushina and this boy, too**,' the Yin Kyubi growled, but dived into the other seal.

He found that his other half was struggling with all his might to get out of his bindings, which were tighter than any bars that the seal within Naruto could've procured. "**My other half, stop struggling, you'll only get sealed into another container.**"

"**You don't know what it's like to be sealed yet again into this terrible prison! At least you can be freed to work with your jailer!**" Yang snarled as he thrashed.

"**This boy would've done the same with you if the seal hadn't been so strong,**" Yin reasoned. "**It is the work of his mother who has you sealed so tight you can't even speak to your host. If we hadn't been sealed into two hosts, I'm sure Minato would've sealed you with him into eternal battle with him within the stomach of the Shinigami. Surely this is better than eternal torment.**"

"**Yes, it still frustrates me that the boy doesn't even reach into himself to talk to me. It's so lonely and confining…**"

"**I promise I'll have Naruto teach his brother to speak to you. He doesn't hate you, I know from what I've seen through Naruto's eyes. He doesn't want to die, which is why he doesn't want you to escape.**"

The Yang half of the Kyubi sighed and nodded. "**Very well. Someday we'll be one again, and we won't have to be sealed anymore.**"

"**Yes.**"

The Yin went back into Naruto as the chakra of the Yang stopped flowing. Eri fell limp as he birthed the twin and heard the second cry. He kept his eyes open to see that he'd had identical twins as well. He smiled and fell asleep.

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><p>How was my attempt at a humorous situation? *crickets chirping*<p>

Oh well, it had me giggling when I wrote it...

Please review!


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Otomen!

Here's the last chapter, everyone!

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><p>By reverse summon, the whole of Konoha's ninja force returned to their village, which had been restored to almost perfect condition. Eri rested in bed while Tenten took care of their new offspring, who slept most of the time, hardly waking to be fed and changed. The younger one, Yota, had opened his eyes (which were deep blue) soon after birth, but the elder, Aya, hadn't. Tsunade didn't know what was wrong, but his eyes wouldn't open. They were perfectly fine, but he just couldn't open them when he woke. He was a healthy baby otherwise.<p>

"Tenten, are you sure you don't want me to get up to help?" the blonde man asked.

"Yes, I'm fine! You need your rest, so stop asking!"

"Okay…"

He lay back as he heard the two babies crying at once, his instincts telling him to get up, but he was still too weak to stand and walk about without support. Sasuke was just fine, having had recovered smoothly, but Eri had had a setback in his healing, even if he had the Kyubi's help. He sighed and closed his eyes to sleep again, tired from waking the same time as his wife to only be reassured that he could keep sleeping.

It was frustrating, letting his wife take care of two babies that didn't even belong to her.

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><p>As time passed, Eri still didn't breathe a word about their parentage. Tsunade, who was the only other who knew, respected his wishes and didn't say anything either, save when it was just the two of them.<p>

She was checking over Aya, a year later, and lowered her voice. "Eri, you know quite well that although Aya-chan's eyelids are sealed shut, they might open someday to reveal Sharingan, for all we know. And Yota, he might manifest it when he's older, especially if he watches Sasuke. Tenten will know for sure then. I'm sure now she'd only be upset if you keep the secret until it can no longer be kept. It wasn't your fault that you were the enemy's guinea pig. How they turned out, I'm sure there was precise gene splicing involved."

"I know I should, but she's so happy thinking they're hers. I can't shatter that, it would be too cruel."

"The longer you wait, the more furious she'll be."

Eri said nothing more.

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><p>The twins' sixth birthday passed, and they were enrolled in the academy, despite Aya being blind still. He had a very acute ability to sense chakra, almost <em>seeing<em> everything as if it was drawn in his head.

Iruka, who still taught, introduced, "This is Namikaze Aya and Namikaze Yota. Aya is blind, so please be extra helpful and nice to him!"

"Yes, Iruka-sensei!" the class chorused.

Then one student asked, "Iruka-sensei, how can a blind kid be a ninja?"

At that, Aya drew a kunai and threw it. The blade connected into the wood of the desk of the very student who'd asked the question. He stated in a cold voice, "I don't need my eyes to see."

Yota sighed. "Aya, quit being so touchy about that."

Aya huffed and went to sit in the back. His twin shot back, "Bitch!"

Before it could escalate, Iruka rapped a book smartly on the crown of the boy's head. "Detention for swearing, Yota-kun. Where did you learn that word?"

Yota scowled and crossed his arms. "Uncle Naruto, who else?"

"That isn't something you should call anyone, let alone your older brother. Now sit in the front where I can see you."

"Fine."

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><p>During lunch, Iruka found Aya hadn't moved from his seat and that he was busily working on something. Seeing as he wasn't finishing classwork, he walked up to the back row to see what the boy was doing. He stopped at the boy's side, to see he was sewing a tear in a pair of shorts. The stitches were so tiny they looked machine-made, so he knew which parent the boy took after.<p>

"You're an otomen like your dad."

Aya bit the thread and sighed. "Yota is so clumsy, he often tears holes in his clothes. While he's busy, I fix them. When he finds out it's me who sewed it, he gets mad. He says that both Otou-san and I are…that word he called me earlier. I can't say such a word without feeling dirty. He says that boys shouldn't sew at all. They should only train and be strong. Little does he know that he takes after Oka-san that way. She's very manly, much more than Otou-san. She doesn't mock me for my skills, she praises me for having a hobby I like besides ninja training."

He folded the garment and put it back into his book bag. "Why do I have to be so different?"

Iruka sat down next to the boy. "It's good to be different, Aya-kun."

Aya gasped. "It's…good?"

"Yes. Do you know that duster your dad always wears?"

"Yeah, but I can't see what's on it."

"On the back it says 'Otomen's Pride'. It shows he isn't ashamed to let everyone know that he's different. You're your own person, even if you and Yota are identical twins. I've noticed from your mom's and dad's notes on your training that you're more dexterous than your brother, right?"

"Uh-huh."

"It's because you have these hobbies. They help you move your hands in tinier movements than your brother. Weaving hand signs will come easier to you than him when we learn them. Not everything is about being tough and getting stronger. You have to be precise too. I saw that when you threw that kunai. It hit exactly where you'd aimed, which is something your brother probably hasn't mastered yet, am I correct?"

Aya nodded, a small smile touching his lips from the praise.

"These skills will help you in the long run. Don't let what others say get to you. You're special and I'm sure your parents are proud of you."

"Thanks, Iruka-sensei."

"Your eyes still haven't opened yet. This might be troubling for you when it comes to transformations."

"I'll try my best, but Otou-san says the same thing. I hope the other students don't laugh at me because I can't visualize."

"I'm sure your eyes will open and you'll be able to see just as well as everyone else."

The bell rang and Iruka stood, walking back to the front of the class.

* * *

><p>Six months later, Aya was washing his face when felt a strange sensation in his eyelids. He moved them to relieve the feeling and yelped when a sharpness came to his brain. He gasped and covered his eyes, forcing his eyelids to part again, all the way, before he slowly dropped his hands.<p>

"I…can see?"

He reached out for the mirror, tracing the lines of his frame with one hand while following them with his other on his actual body. "I'd only 'seen' the chakra forms of people and things before…but _sight_…it's so different. How can anyone take this for granted? Is this 'color' that I've been told about? These differences in dark and light, I could stare at them for hours and not get tired… Wow."

He kept looking for so long, memorizing his face and body, that someone was sent to find him. He blinked when one of his classmates, Chokichi, who was a boy from the Akimichi Clan, stepped in while calling, "Aya-kun? Are you in here? Class has start—"

He stopped cold when he saw Aya's eyes and began to shake, pointing and screaming, "IT'S THE RINNEGAN! IRUKA-SENSEI! HEEEEEELP!"

Iruka came running, eyes narrowed in a glare that all ninjas took when entering battle. "What's wrong, Chokichi-kun?!"

"AYA-KUN'S EYES! THEY'RE RINNEGAN! JUST LIKE THAT GUY FROM THE AKATSUKI THAT LEVELED KONOHA!"

The teacher gazed at Aya's eyes and nodded. "So they are. He's not dangerous, Chokichi-kun. Calm down. Aya-kun, come on, it's time for class."

Aya followed the petrified boy to class and the instant he entered, he noticed that his eyes weren't normal at all, even his twin's were different. His eyes had to be very rare and powerful, if they caused such panic in his classmate. Yota stabbed a finger at him and demanded, "Where did you get _those_ from?! We're identical twins, we're supposed to have _identical_ eyes! I'm gonna tell Tsunade-sama and she'll have you _killed_!"

"NAMIKAZE YOTA!" Iruka shouted. The boy flinched at the reprimand. The teacher placed a hand on Aya's shoulder. "This eye technique is no different from the Sharingan or Byakugan. You don't get frightened by seeing those, so don't fear or shun Aya-kun for something he was born with." He then turned to Aya, who'd been so touched by his teacher's kindness compared to his classmates' that he'd started to cry. "Aya-kun, would you like to go home early? Kids your age can be cruel."

Aya shook his head and wiped his eyes. "No. I want to go through the rest of class. We're learning the transformation technique today, so I want to try, now that I can see."

"All right. Go to your seat."

Aya nodded and watched intently as Iruka demonstrated the transformation technique in front of the class. He transformed into a rock, then called each child to try. Instead of watching the other students, he studied the rock, seeing its shape, roughness, angles, color, and memorized them.

"Aya-kun!"

"Yes, Iruka-sensei!"

He came up to the front and put his hands in the appropriate sign. "Transform!"

"Very good, Aya-kun."

He changed back and grinned. "Thanks."

"I'm sure you'll do just fine with all skills that require visualization."

He nodded and returned to his seat.

* * *

><p>When he came home, Yota gave him a poisonous look before stomping to his room. Their mom greeted, "Welcome home, Yota," but got no reply, so she turned to Aya, and paused. "Aya…your eyes…"<p>

"Um, Oka-san—"

"They've finally opened! That's wonderful!" she cried, hugging him. "You can finally see! Your dad will be so happy, since we were worried that you'd be blind forever!"

He was so surprised his mom didn't seem shocked by his eyes that he beamed, happiness overflowing inside him.

Little did he know this was the calm before the storm.

* * *

><p>Eri entered the house, calling, "I'm home!"<p>

Tenten came up to him and slapped him. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!"

He froze, not even bringing a hand up to his stinging face.

"I KNEW SOMETHING ABOUT THE TIMING WAS WRONG, BUT FOR THEM TO BE THE PRODUCT OF A MADMAN'S AMBITION FOR THE PERFECT NINJA, YOU SHOULD'VE TOLD ME BEFORE THEY WERE BORN!" she exploded, tears running down her cheeks like a pair of waterfalls. "You…could've trusted me…I would've…understood…"

Guilt tore him from the inside out, and he lowered his head. "I'm sorry…I thought you wouldn't want them if you knew they weren't yours, Tenten. I didn't mean for it to go on this long. I thought you'd have to heal from Kushina…leaving us."

"I am healed, Eri. I just don't like that you didn't tell me from the get-go."

She hugged him tight, before kissing him. He relaxed and put his arms around her, tilting her chin up. "I can guess that Aya's eyes opened."

"Yeah. Guess what they look like?"

"Sharingan?"

"No, Rinnegan."

"Rinnegan? That's…interesting. I'm sure the villagers will be leery of him for a while until they get used to one of their ninja candidates has the very same eyes as the enemy who wanted to destroyed the village and caused a war that was paid with many lives. It's probably more memorable than the Sharingan."

"Yeah, it is. I don't want Aya to be shunned and feared like Naruto was. We have to support him through all this and love him as we always have."

"As their birth parent, it's a given. I've loved him and Yota since they were born."

The pair relaxed, before they smiled at each other. Tenten whispered, "I love you, through everything."

"I love you too, forever."

* * *

><p>And that's the end!<p>

How'd you like it? Or did it suck?

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